Some time ago, the Government of India created a central organization called the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the leadership of a prominent Indian software technocrat inducted to the government side from the private sector. UIDAI has spent crores of rupees to collect the bio-metric data of the Indian people resident in India to create what is called a unique identity card nicknamed 'Aadhaar' for each and every individual resident of India.
It is believed that a few crores of people have been 'scanned' for getting their finger scans and eye scans and other key information by initiating a massive data collection program outsourced to private agencies. UIDAI was to make some identity cards and issue the same to the concerned individuals by sending the respective cards through post.
Unfortunately, UIDAI has not foreseen the problem of the Postal Department to distribute these cards to the respective individuals. The effort was a big failure because of the fact that the Indian Postal Services over the years have failed miserably to maintain their status as the country's official and dependable courier service ! I would write about that story later.
I do not have any idea to what would have happened to those tonnes of paper 'aadhaar' cards the UIDAI has got produced through outsourced private agencies which never reached their destinations. For example, me and my wife, though we have a firm and well known address, never got it. So is the case with scores of others who are known to me. Surprisingly, all of us got our scanning done during the same time in the same booth set up for the said purpose !
The UIDAI might have realized their folly later and then came out with another concept called the e-aadhaar. That was indeed a step commensurate with the high tech stature of the UIDAI as this time the authority got an online website operational for those who haven't got their aadhaar cards.
How to get this e-aadhaar online is explained by me in another blog [ You may view this blog here !]
If you see the various comments of the viewers under the above said blog, you would perhaps understand the difficulties faced by the public. While many viewers have got the e-aadhaar through the online system, including myself, there are thousands who have not. They have neither got the paper aadhaar nor the e-aadhaar !
At the same time perhaps more than half the population of India have not been scanned for the aadhaar biometric data base. Now, it is everybody's guess what a faulty system can do for the citizens of India !
As I have written in some of the earlier blogs elsewhere, India is undergoing an identity crisis, not only for the nation, but also for its citizens.
The Income Tax Department has the PAN card. The Election Commission of India has the Voter's Identity Card which is to be made several times as per the residential status of the citizen. The Transport Authority issues the Driving License. The External Affairs Ministry issues the Passport. The Private and public employers issue their employee I-Cards. The schools and universities do the same. Some other departments of the government concerned with food distribution issue the Ration Cards.
Then there are cards issued by the banks, the debit and credit cards. The Revenue department issues some other cards and books showing a persons land ownership. The telephone companies and the gas companies issues their cards, books, bills and the like.
The post offices issue residence certificates on a chargeable basis. They claim that they do, but their post masters need not be knowing about such a thing !
Now in India, you cannot travel in any train or plane if you do not have any card of the above said categories. Again some arrogant employee of the railways or the airline companies could create mess for any one on account of some spelling mistakes in any of the so called identity cards of India- something which could happen at any time. Luck and fortune play the most important role in India in this regard !
If you have not faced any problems, you are a fortunate Indian ! It is as simple as that !
I am at a loss to understand why the Indian authorities are so passionately fond of the Identity Cards and other cards. Imagine the confusion of keeping all these cards and books and papers even by those who have some secured and weather protected residences ! What would be the situation for those millions of Indians who do not have any such things above their heads ?
And that explains the complex nature of India as a nation. A nation of no direction, no vision, no mission.
But that in itself is another type of identity. The identity of the mixture. The identity of the south Indian 'sambar' and the north Indian ' Kichri'. The foods Indians cherish when they are sick !
Let us wait for the times when the sickness gets cured fully !
Do you have any doubt about that future possibility ? If so, it is time to think collectively !
It is believed that a few crores of people have been 'scanned' for getting their finger scans and eye scans and other key information by initiating a massive data collection program outsourced to private agencies. UIDAI was to make some identity cards and issue the same to the concerned individuals by sending the respective cards through post.
Unfortunately, UIDAI has not foreseen the problem of the Postal Department to distribute these cards to the respective individuals. The effort was a big failure because of the fact that the Indian Postal Services over the years have failed miserably to maintain their status as the country's official and dependable courier service ! I would write about that story later.
I do not have any idea to what would have happened to those tonnes of paper 'aadhaar' cards the UIDAI has got produced through outsourced private agencies which never reached their destinations. For example, me and my wife, though we have a firm and well known address, never got it. So is the case with scores of others who are known to me. Surprisingly, all of us got our scanning done during the same time in the same booth set up for the said purpose !
The UIDAI might have realized their folly later and then came out with another concept called the e-aadhaar. That was indeed a step commensurate with the high tech stature of the UIDAI as this time the authority got an online website operational for those who haven't got their aadhaar cards.
How to get this e-aadhaar online is explained by me in another blog [ You may view this blog here !]
If you see the various comments of the viewers under the above said blog, you would perhaps understand the difficulties faced by the public. While many viewers have got the e-aadhaar through the online system, including myself, there are thousands who have not. They have neither got the paper aadhaar nor the e-aadhaar !
At the same time perhaps more than half the population of India have not been scanned for the aadhaar biometric data base. Now, it is everybody's guess what a faulty system can do for the citizens of India !
As I have written in some of the earlier blogs elsewhere, India is undergoing an identity crisis, not only for the nation, but also for its citizens.
The Income Tax Department has the PAN card. The Election Commission of India has the Voter's Identity Card which is to be made several times as per the residential status of the citizen. The Transport Authority issues the Driving License. The External Affairs Ministry issues the Passport. The Private and public employers issue their employee I-Cards. The schools and universities do the same. Some other departments of the government concerned with food distribution issue the Ration Cards.
Then there are cards issued by the banks, the debit and credit cards. The Revenue department issues some other cards and books showing a persons land ownership. The telephone companies and the gas companies issues their cards, books, bills and the like.
The post offices issue residence certificates on a chargeable basis. They claim that they do, but their post masters need not be knowing about such a thing !
Now in India, you cannot travel in any train or plane if you do not have any card of the above said categories. Again some arrogant employee of the railways or the airline companies could create mess for any one on account of some spelling mistakes in any of the so called identity cards of India- something which could happen at any time. Luck and fortune play the most important role in India in this regard !
If you have not faced any problems, you are a fortunate Indian ! It is as simple as that !
I am at a loss to understand why the Indian authorities are so passionately fond of the Identity Cards and other cards. Imagine the confusion of keeping all these cards and books and papers even by those who have some secured and weather protected residences ! What would be the situation for those millions of Indians who do not have any such things above their heads ?
And that explains the complex nature of India as a nation. A nation of no direction, no vision, no mission.
But that in itself is another type of identity. The identity of the mixture. The identity of the south Indian 'sambar' and the north Indian ' Kichri'. The foods Indians cherish when they are sick !
Let us wait for the times when the sickness gets cured fully !
Do you have any doubt about that future possibility ? If so, it is time to think collectively !
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