Unique Identification in India

Unique ID Project

Background

India is a country that faces a plurality of challenges. Even though we are growing at 8-9% on an average for __years now, grave inequalities exist in the distribution of the growth.

It is almost like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle, which creates some parts that depict beautiful pictures and the rest do not even have the pieces.

Economic inequality has its roots in social inequity, which can be linked to poverty that can be linked to improper distribution of welfare services; this can be connected to crime and social unrest and to anti-national elements, which goes back to different kinds of inequity.

The common missing link in this vicious circle is that of asymmetry and unreliability of basic information that uniquely identifies each resident in the eyes of the state.

There is a need for a system that unifies all existing incomplete information databases into one comprehensive and exhaustive dataset that helps prevent abuse of information and provides legitimacy to the claims of millions of individuals who as of now, do not even exist in the eyes of the state.

Why does one need a Unique ID?

Countries world over have unique IDs for their citizens and permanent residents and the IDs are generally known as National Identification Number (NIN), in US for instance the social security number is the de-facto NIN. A country needs a NIN for the following purposes

1. A means of tracking their citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents for the purposes of work

2. Tracking these individuals for Taxation purposes

3. Increasing the accuracy and ease of computing of National accounting measures (GDP, Spending, Revenue etc.)

4. To optimize and make the national distribution system (subsidies, healthcare and other Govt. related functions) more efficient

5. To stop anti-national elements (i.e. terrorists) from obtaining services (without getting tracked) that could be used in anti-national activities e.g. phone, credit card etc....