The government’s much-hyped scheme of issuing a unique identification number (uid) to citizens has hit a roadblock in Delhi. Many senior citizens are facing difficulties as the biometric machines are unable to read their fingerprints. Said an operator recording fingerprints in GK-I, “Due to old age, the lines on fingers virtually disappear and the machines are unable to register them. But we have been told to follow the rules.” “I stood...

The finance ministry has approved a budget of Rs. 8,814.75 crore for the nodal agency executing the government’s Aadhaar project, under which all residents of India will be provided unique identification (uid) numbers. The Unique Identification Authority of India (uidAI) will use the money to pay registrars who are enrolling people for Aadhaar, as well as to build the project’s technical systems.   The uidAI, which pays registrars Rs. 50 per enrolment, is...

-IANS   India's mammoth exercise to issue a unique identification (uid) number to each of its 1.2 billion population has attracted the attention of many nations, and diplomats got a glimpse of what changes in governance could be brought about from the project's pioneer Nandan Nilekani himself.  Nilekani told the 100 odd diplomats from several embassies based in the capital Wednesday that the uid Authority of India's effort was to provide an instrument...

Nandan Nilekani led Unique Identification Authority of India (uidAI) has hit a Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) roadblock. The government had refused to make unique number or Aadhaar mandatory for making wage payment to people enrolled under the world’s largest social security scheme unless all residents are covered. The reason given was that MGNREGA is a universal scheme and anyone can demand work. Unless all resident in a district have...

Both Nandan Nilekani and his well-wishers are today, two years after he set out on his unique identification (uid) journey, wiser if not a more disillusioned lot. Right at the outset he had acknowledged concerns over privacy issues, saying, “India does not really have a privacy law. So all this will act as an impetus to define the privacy framework for Indians.” That gaping hole is still staring us in...