UID, branded, "Aadhaar" - The deceit of the UIDAI Database

UID – what is it? The Official Version

Sunday. June 20, 2010 Citizens Action Forum

It links every person to a unique biometric identity of ten finger prints & iris scans.

Sunday. June 20, 2010Citizens Action Forum

●Kargil Committee Report, 2000●GOM “Reforming the National Security System”

Report, 2001- MNIC: Multi-purpose National Identity Card

●2003 NDA amends Citizenship Act – Onus on people to enroll

●2009 UPA renames MNIC as UID: shift from a security angle to a developmental angle


●UID project would serve a variety of purposes: “better targeting of government’s development schemes, regulatory purposes (including taxation and licensing), security purposes, banking and financial sector activities, etc

●UID will be “progressively extended to various government programmes and regulatory agencies, as well as private sector agencies in the banking, financial services, mobile telephony and other such areas.”


●UID would make it possible to open a bank account in India with no supporting documents, thus expanding financial inclusion

●UID would make it easier to obtain a mobile telephone connection than at present

●UID would ensure that the public food distribution system (PDS) in India would cease to be wasteful


●UID would eliminate corruption from the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (NREGS)

●UID would help ensure and monitor attendance of teachers in schools

●Overall, the UID project is presented as a “technology-based solution” that would change the face of governance in India


●UID is a number, in a central database of every person in India, linked to his / her biometric uniqueness, & maintained by the UIDAI

● It does not confer citizenship● It is not an ID Card●Govt & private parties could use it for issuing ID

cards, on payment of fees to UIDAI


●The role that the Authority envisions is to issue a unique identification number (UID) that can be verified and authenticated in an online, cost-effective manner, and that is robust enough to eliminate duplicate and fake identities.


●There is no cost estimate●There is no Detailed Project Report●There is no Feasibility Study●Vague statements indicating a few thousands of

Crores of Rupees are put out, now and then


●UK’s ID Card cost was estimated by the UK Govt to be £ 900 Million

●LSE Study estimated the cost as between £ 10.6 to £ 19.20 Billion


●One estimate put the figure at Rs. 1.5 Lakh Crores●Current budget is Rs. 1950 Crores plus Rs. 3590

Crores for Census, which would be used for enumeration of households and collecting data for UID

●PM has asked for the cost to be reviewed


●UIDAI is an “attached office” of the Planning Commission

●Parliament has not discussed the setting of UIDAI or implementing UID

●Hence, UIDAI & UID have no legal sanction●UIDAI is drafting a law to give UIDAI statutory

legitimacy


●Bank accounts & financial inclusion ●Phone connections●Prevent waste in PDS●Eliminate corruption in NREGS ●Monitor attendance of teachers in schools

None of these would be achieved


●UIDAI has never said that the origin & real purpose of UID is for security

●Why has UIDAI NOT ever mentioned this aspect and why has no one ever asked UIDAI about this?


●USA – Real ID Act 2005 – Status: In cold storage, no State has approved it.

●UK – National ID Act 2005 - Scrapped●Australia – “Australia Cards”1986 for immigration

& taxation – Withdrawn●Canada, New Zealand, Philippines - withdrawn


●Parliamentary Standing Committee report noted: “It is clear that this is a very significant policy issue that could have wide implications for privacy, security, and fiscal accountability. Indeed, it has been suggested that it could affect fundamental values underlying Canadian society. A broad public review is therefore essential. The general public must be made more aware of all aspects of the issue, and we must hear what ordinary citizens have to say”


UK Experience & Decision - 1

●National ID Act was passed in 2005 by the Blair Govt – Purpose: Control illegal immigrations – Biometrics in passports

●LSE study : “In its present form the scheme is expensive, would not achieve its objectives & would itself be a target for terrorists”

●Brown issued tenders to MNCs, including Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, Cisco and IBM in 2009 Sunday. June 20, 2010Citizens Action Forum

UK Experience & Decision - 2

●Cameron wrote to these companies that they would be participating in the tender at their risk, since if the Conservative Party came to power, they would cancel the contracts

●The National ID was a major issue in the UK elections in May, this year

●The first act of the new UK Govt was to scrap the National ID scheme


UK Experience & Decision -

●In scrapping the National ID card scheme, Theresa May, Home Secretary said, ○ “This [ID card] represents the worst of

government○ It is intrusive bullying○ It is an assault on individual liberty○ We are the servants of the people, not their

masters○ The Govt will destroy all data held on the National

Identity Register○ The post of Identity Commissioner will be

terminated”Sunday. June 20, 2010Citizens Action Forum

How could UID be abused? - 1

To understand this look at some UID lies


●It is voluntary, but service providers could ask for it

● It would be “demand driven”●Cloud computing would be used●“Pay per use” would be the UID business

model●Underplaying the “security” uses, but linking

UID database to NATGRID and allowing security agencies – RAW, IB, CBI and police to use it


How could / why would, UID be abused - 2


● One in thirteen MPs have criminal records. MLAs are no better

● Corruption is rampant● Police routinely torture people● All these would use the data to target people and

take vengeance● UID gives unbridled power into the hands of petty

bureaucrats● The power to deny is inherent in this power to give

and would be abused ● Rather than preventing corruption, it would aid

corrupt politicians & officials

What do you think you should / could do?

Watch & wait or act to stop?


What you could do●Spread the word regarding the truth about UID●Join networks that are creating awareness

among people on UID●Participate in all campaigns against it●Write to MPs, MLAs, CMs, Governors, Political

Party bosses●Write to the newspapers●Join in taking the UID issue to courts


UID, branded, "Aadhaar" - The deceit of the UIDAI Database

News & Politics

citizens action forum

uidai uid

uid project

ordinary citizens

present uid

uid pm

financial inclusion

uk national id act