M A I N   N E W S

Aadhaar: MHA makes U-turn, backs scheme

New Delhi, October 26
The Home Ministry today made an about turn on its earlier stand on Aadhaar by coming out in full support of the scheme saying it will facilitate “anytime, anywhere, anyhow” authentication to its beneficiaries.

The ministry’s stand is in contrast to its earlier position taken under Rajnath Singh’s predecessors Sushilkumar Shinde and P Chidambaram.

During the UPA regime, the ministry had raised concerns over the sanctity of the Unique Identification Authority of India’s (UIDAI) database, saying uniqueness of identity was not a necessary condition for ensuring authenticity of identity or genuineness of other entries or records of Aadhaar numbers.

It had also raised concerns over supporting documents submitted by people as proofs of identity and address for getting an Aadhaar number.

In a letter to state governments, the Home Ministry has now said since an Aadhaar number is allotted a person, it allows universal verification of his identity.

Aadhaar card also enables the deprived and needy people to access services such as banking facilities.

“Since Aadhaar is based on the demographic and biometric information of an individual, it eliminates the threat of any fraud and bogus activity.

“Aadhaar will provide its possessor with universal identification.

(It) will facilitate ‘anytime, anywhere, anyhow’ authentication to its beneficiaries (and) be a single source of identity verification," it said.

The ministry said Aadhaar had several benefits and could be used at multiple places to prove identity easily.

The Aadhaar number can be used while opening a bank account as it meets the “know your customer” (KYC) norms of the Reserve Bank of India. The card can also be used for booking tickets online, applying for passport and at places where a proof of identity is required.

“Aadhaar will give migrants universal mobility of identity. The government can now provide services and facilities to people, especially in the rural areas, in a more effective manner.

“As more and more government services are going to be linked to Aadhaar, it would be of utility to have an Aadhaar card. Aadhaar will hence help the poor to take the benefits or the facilities provided to them by the government which could not be accessed by (them) earlier. Aadhaar will thus become the simplest way of proving one's identity,” the ministry said.

Aadhaar and the National Population Register (NPR) come under the Government of India’s national identity programmes. While the UIDAI implements the Aadhaar scheme, the Registrar General of India manages the NPR scheme under the Home Ministry.

“Both collect biometric data covering 10 finger prints, iris scan of both eyes and a photograph. The identity and address of the resident are also identified during the enrolment process. "Aadhaar provides a unique identity number to every resident in the country. The NPR database is sent to the UIDAI for Aadhaar de-duplication and generating Unique Identity (UID) numbers,” the Home Ministry said.

The Home Ministry's letter also said since a correctional home had a number of inmates who might have missed the enrolment process, it would be of immense utility to offer this service to them as a welfare measure when they are released. Tihar Jail in New Delhi has also started an enrolment process and received a good response. The enrolment process is entirely voluntary and there is no compulsion involved as in 'The Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920'.

Moreover, the data collected by UIDAI is not meant for use by the correctional home and is only for the provision of an Aadhaar card to enable the re-integration of the UTP or convict upon release. Necessary documentation to aid the enrolment process may be facilitated by correctional home authorities.

"It is hence suggested that the local UIDAI authorities should be approached for initiating the enrolment drive in all correctional homes and the prisoners should be briefed adequately as to the benefits of obtaining an Aadhaar card before the start of the drive to remove any misgivings about the process," the Home Ministry said. — PTI

What it said earlier

• The uniqueness of identity is not a necessary condition for ensuring authenticity of identity or genuineness of other entries or records of Aadhaar numbers
• Concerned over supporting documents submitted by people as proofs of identity and address for getting an Aadhaar number

What it says now

• An Aadhaar number allotted a person allows universal verification of his identity. It has several benefits and can be used at multiple places to prove identity easily
• Since Aadhaar is based on the demographic and biometric info of an individual, it eliminates the threat of any fraud and bogus activity.