The Aadhaar Side of Security
“Have you linked your Aadhaar yet?”
A question which has reverberated throughout the nation as the Central Government of India made it necessary for every Indian citizen to link their Aadhaar card number to every other binding record of their official identity, such as, their mobile phone numbers, their bank account, their death certificates, and, probably, in the foreseeable future, their birth certificates. This compulsion was received with contrasting opinions, most concerns bordering the lines of security.
Before we delve into the efficacies of security with reference to the general mass’ concern, a certain confusion has to be wiped clean off the slate. The Aadhaar card is not a proof of a certain individual’s Indian nationality, or in the words of the special bench formed, to provide judgment in relation with the West Bengal government’s concern against the Aadhaar card due to their concern with personal security;
“The Aadhaar card is not a proof of an individual’s Indian-ness…”
The Aadhaar Card, which was first introduced in 2009 by the then UPA led coalition government, was a mere twelve digit number similar to the US’ Social Security number but with Narendra Modi’s ascension to power, the Prime Minister from the right wing political party, BJP, sought to introduce a few tweaks to the existing Aadhaar Card. Thus, India became the proprietor of the world’s most extensive and widespread biometric identification system as the Aadhaar Card now contained the populace’s scanned irises and fingerprints stored in a centralized database.
The ripples of the Aadhaar Act were felt throughout the nation as the debate arose concerning whether or not to have Aadhaar card as a mandatory source of identification. In a country of about a billion citizens, who bring alongside themselves a billion issued Aadhaar Cards, the concern for privacy and personal integrity becomes inevitable. The theory, which looked perfect on paper as it aimed to eliminate the middleman or mediator during transaction and trade, and thus, inadvertently, reduce corruption, had brought about the leak of about a 13 crore Indians’ private and biometric information. Thus, the fact that the world’s most extensive and widespread biometric identification system had quite a few loopholes within and also, the fact that about a 100 crore individuals’ identity was out in the open, and up for the taking, was no more a myth to the Indian denizen.
The biometric system of identification is not much of a myth or groundbreaking system of identification as regarded by the Indian populace. The use of biometric system for the identification of citizens has been implemented the world over by certain countries, while some have discontinued or minimized the issuance of biometric system of identification due to the concern for the privacy of individuals. Numerous leakages of biometric information have been reported the world over, the best known instance being the leak of the German Minister of Interior, Wolfgang Schauble’s, fingerprint by the hacker group Chaos Computer Club which was published in the March 2008 edition of Datenschleuder. This act of aggression may have led to the United Kingdom’s denouncement of the National Identity Card, ( introduced in 2006 by the Identity Cards Act), as the identity of the citizens would have been jeopardized in light of the publication of the German minister’s fingerprints.
Identity which denoted individuality has now become just another commodity. The numerous security breaches of the centralized database have brought about a certain kind of fear, which unfortunately, is not unfounded. Identity theft is now a reality in India. The subtle breach of privacy by the government also puts the question of personal integrity and security to question, as the Aadhaar card also serves the purpose of recording the numerous bank transactions, phone calls and flight journeys made by an individual, to name a few instances.
Aadhaar system is not necessarily a flawed system. In all certainty, every other form or kind of biometric system is flawed in one or the other way. It is a rather convenient measure to ensure that the entirety of the populace’s residence and citizenry is certified and ratified by the Central Government. According to a recent survey conducted by the Indian Government itself, about 99% of the Indian populace registered under the Universal Adult Franchise possess an Aadhaar Card and in a country of about 1.5 billion residents, it is no mean feat. It also stands true to the fact of the populace’s unwavering faith in the implementation of the Aadhaar Act.
Thus, in a world where citizens tend to live more of a digitized life where the world is at their finger tips and where they are privy to the illusion of having absolute control of their world, data is the most valuable commodity. As stated by the Indian Prime Minister himself;
“The country with the supreme control over data will lead the world.”
The Aadhaar is here to stay but with the advent of numerous security breaches of the centralized database, the government can hope for the Indian denizen to lose its faith in the individualistic ideals of identity.
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