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Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

Nilekani bats for 'Aadhaar'

-The Times of India

 

Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Nandan Nilekani has said that the unique identity programme or 'Aadhaar' should not be viewed as "a technologically complicated and purposeless activity".

"The programme has much wider and scalable applications for ensuring effective and efficient delivery of public distribution system (PDS) and welfare services," he said while delivering the inaugural speech at the launch of the Pune International Centre (PIC) here on Saturday.

The PIC, headed by noted scientist R A Mashelkar, is a forum of leading intellectuals and citizens of Pune. The centre has been positioned along the lines of the India International Centre in New Delhi and will serve as a platform for open discussions and debates on socially relevant issues. Former union minister Mohan Dharia inaugurated the centre.

Speaking on 'Inclusive development and information technology', Nilekani said that lack of proof of identity remains a huge challenge for many Indians, especially at a time when the trend of large scale rural-to-urban migration is bound to increase over the next two or three decades. "Almost 50% of India is expected to be urbanised during this period," he added.

The prevailing systems for delivery of public distribution and welfare services are based more on static information. "The need for a ubiquitous common identity that is nationally and internationally acceptable, is essential as the moment you become a migrant, you are rendered anonymous in terms of drawing benefits such as ration card supplies, public health and education schemes etc.," he said.

Nilekani said, "Often it is asked why an Aadhaar card when we have identification documents like passport, driving license, PAN cards and voters' ID cards? The fact remains that of the country's 1.2 billion population, the number of people holding passports is 50 million i.e. less than 5%. Similarly, close to 100 million people have PAN cards; another 200 million people have driving licences and 700 million have voters' ID cards. There is a vast section of people who do not have any kind of ID proof."

Nilekani said that welfare schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA), Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY), and Public Distribution System (PDS), among others, are meant to go to eligible individuals. "If your fundamental way of indentifying an individual is faulty then how are you to ensure benefits of these schemes are going to the right person?" he added.

Nilekani said, "India's spending on social sector schemes has gone up tremendously over the last 10 years. The total worth of benefits through these scheme is to the tune of Rs 3,00,000 crore per annum of which 50% is in the form of subsidies on LPG and kerosene and the remaining 50% on NREGA, mid-day meal, pensions, scholarhips etc."

He said, "Information technology has a very huge role to play in ensuring that public governance matches the rising expectations of a large pool of young people, who are impatient and want instant gratification and results. The pace of change in society is much faster."

The government's measures to raise tax collection through modernisation and reforms has led to 30% to 40% in the collections, which means greater spending on social sector initiatives. "It is important for us to see that this spending is done efficiently," he said.

Earlier, Mashelkar provided an overview of the PIC and its activities. Former union finance secretary Vijay Kelkar, Pune's former divisional commissioner Prabhakar Karandikar, KPIT Cummins chief Ravi Pandit, scientists Jayant Narlikar and Govind Swarup, Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav, educationists S B Mujumdar and Vishwanath Karad, Prataprao Pawar, Satish Magar were among those present.