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Why the UID card should be made every citizen's constitutional right

We are probably among those few developing countries that are pegged to be next superpowers but who still do not have any idea of their unemployment rates, birthrates, income disparities and actual poverty counts. This is quite clear just from our government data. Imagine; various commissions of the same government come out with separate reports on poverty that have different counts! If that was surprising, then consider the unemployment rate shown by different government agencies – the figures vary so widely that they seem to be of different nations than of one. Our NSSO surveys go steps ahead. Firstly, the data takes inordinately long, many quarters, to compile, assemble and analyse; secondly, the credibility and accuracy is still always under doubt. And finally, our census count, which is the worst of all. While most countries are undertaking their census exercises every year in order to comprehend the real-time social and economic situation of their respective countries, our census exercise takes place once in a decade!

The importance of such data in this age of information needs no mention. No nation today can come out with holistic and feasible developmental policies without taking into consideration the real picture of the economy and the society. Neither can a government infer the effectiveness of its policies without reading the right data. Imagine the consequence of those policies that our policy makers draft based on dated reports or even non-available data. The crying example is our reservation policy that is based on the Sachar Committee Report, which is almost six years old! And in these six years, the country’s demographic has seen major movements. Similarly, NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) and several other poverty alleviation programs are framed on reports based on census data that are decades old and quite obsolete!

Against this gloomy state of social indices and their non-scientific projections, the incumbent government in 2009 announced its plans to implement the Unique Identification Number (UID) project across India under the Unique Identification Authority of India (or UIDAI). The government named this project Aadhaar, a project with an objective of providing a unique identification number to all its citizens, which will further allow the agency to maintain all data and biometric information at a single centralized server.

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Comments

Harvinder Kumar said…
I totally agree with you sir....its high time UID cards are made mandatory for all.
Abinaba said…
With the country’s ever-increasing population, I don’t think there is something better than UID to reduce the complications of having so many identity proofs for various purposes.
UIDs can make a huge difference to India as well as its citizens and make things very easy overall…..don’t know why the govt. doesn’t take such steps that can simplify things for us.
Raj said…
The congress has many options to do something memorable for the citizens……if not the Lok Pal Bill,at least take this project forward so that we may remember it as something new by the party.
Mukesh kumar said…
Its high time India learns some lessons from other countries if it really wants to be a developed nation.
sanjay said…
It would be really great if the SC takes all such national issues into its hands.
Amit said…
It is our system who is to be blamed for the failure of such projects in the country.
Unknown said…
It’s really great to hear all the time that we are an upcoming superpower…..but the truth is far from this…..i don’t see India becoming a super power unless we find someone who can bring in a huge change.
rajat said…
I feel this project will only remain a political initiative and hardly seems that it will be taken forward
tripati sharma said…
I always agree with your articles and your thoughts sir…..your articles are simply amazing and I eagerly wait for your articles.
Unknown said…
I wish this project becomes a success sooner than later so that we get rid all the documents that we carry all the time.
Unknown said…
Being a superpower is a different thing and being fully developed different…..It is useless to think of becoming a super power when you can’t provide even the basics to your citizens, including those in the rural sector.
sonika said…
From whatever I have read or known,I don’t think the project will be taken forward.
Rohan said…
It is a great project with a great concept;which if implemented till the end would yield a great result…..but like many other things I don’t think Aadhar will even succeed.
Nisha said…
UID cards should be made as mandatory for everyone because we all know how easy and simple things would become.
Unknown said…
Thanks for sharing this great info.
Cheers,
Ramesh Roy
Leadership Training company

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