India’s Aadhaar system, introduced 15 years ago as a digital identity scheme. It has since become a hallmark of everyday life for its citizens. With more than 1.42 billion people registered, it includes—or will very soon include—all of India’s residents. We know Aadhaar can do a lot of great things. For example, it facilitates housing purchases, assists people applying for jobs, opening bank accounts, and making tax payments. Indeed, cutting corruption through the Indian government’s digitization of welfare schemes is something they take pride in claiming has saved the nation more than $22 billion. Critics lament that these novel initiatives consistently overlook the most vulnerable members of society.
Launched with the aim of streamlining access to various services, Aadhaar has evolved into a necessary tool for everyday transactions. Citizens are flocking to it to buy a car and get a new SIM card. They reserve priority train tickets and get school admissions for their children. This huge scope, coupled with the potential for misuse, highlights the concern around Aadhaar’s significance in everyday Indian life.
While the system was meant to improve traffic flow and safety, the system has seen huge public outcry. This is one of the main critiques by opponents who claim Aadhaar will impose barriers on the poorest and least educated citizens. These realities have become painfully visible, as reports have documented how millions of India’s marginalized workers have been excluded from government welfare programs. This is mostly because of verification failures owing to Aadhaar.
Chakradhar Buddha, a senior researcher at the Delhi-based NGO LibTech India, has been vocal about these issues. He points out that people living in remote or tribal locations often struggle to get Aadhaar. Authorities have turned a blind eye to this problem.
“We have seen those in tribal, hilly or remote areas being unable to get an Aadhaar – and it’s happening on a large scale that goes unacknowledged,” – Buddha
The difficulties are made even worse by the rapidly changing technology used in Aadhaar registration and verification. Even when users want to participate, many are missing required documentation or have gaps in current documentation that don’t line up with government documentation. Buddha describes how these complexities make it impossible and inaccessible to receive necessary social security and welfare infrastructures that exist.
“Partly it’s because they might not have the right documents or their different documents don’t catch completely; partly it’s because the technology keeps changing and creating additional hurdles that punish the most vulnerable. Ultimately, it’s a system that undermines access to essential social security and welfare for those that need it most,” – Buddha
On social welfare, the impacts of Aadhaar’s rigid verification policy continue to unfold. Aalam Sheikh, a 34-year-old, illiterate laborer, recently found himself in a predicament when a thief stole his bag containing important ID documents, including his Aadhaar card, while traveling on a train. Sheikh expressed his frustration with the system.
“This Aadhaar has become a nightmare for us. Why can’t the government maintain a proper system?” – Sheikh
To his credit, he highlighted how the system appears to be rigged against people who are already vulnerable.
“Everything in this country works against the poor, and so does this Aadhaar card,” – Sheikh
Umesh Patel, a textile entrepreneur in Ahmedabad, 47, welcomes Aadhaar. While he sees promise in AI to simplify processes, others are still concerned about its overall impact. Patel stated,
“It’s a robust system that has made life much easier,” – Umesh Patel
Based on positive testimonials from some users of the system. Critics are sounding the alarm on serious data privacy and security issues regarding Aadhaar. Despite these provisions, our biometric data—including photographs, face scans, iris scans, and fingerprints—are now stored in a sensitive database shared among all ministries of the Indian government. Reports of data breaches have surfaced, including a notorious incident where personal information of 1.1 billion Indians was allegedly sold online for as little as 500 rupees (£5).
Legal experts are sounding the alarm over India’s data protection and privacy laws. They argue that these laws might not be enough to secure the vast data gathered using Aadhaar. Gupta, a privacy advocate, noted that current legislation lacks mechanisms for monitoring breaches or ensuring oversight of how Aadhaar data could be combined with other databases.
Buddha cautions that adopting Aadhaar as a blanket criterion for voter registration and identity verification would deprive millions of citizens of their voting rights. He argues that these types of provisions would disenfranchise existing marginalized populations.
“Under this law, which has still yet to be notified, there is no way to know if there has been a reported data breach and no oversight into how Aadhaar data may be bundled with other databases, which could enrich wider tracking and surveillance of citizens,” – Gupta
Buddha further warns that using Aadhaar as a universal basis for voter registration could disenfranchise many citizens. He opines that such measures would strip away the rights of already marginalized groups.
“These people are already deprived of social equality; now they want to use Aadhaar to strip away their right to political equality and universal franchise,” – Buddha