http://panela.bsmail.in/bsmailin/lt.php?id=KUkBVFQEVAtTWk0DBFNUVR8=UlQJUQVbHhRPFR4QBBIIEl1xAwlRClVMAF5e
Mr Modi has once again demonstrated clarity of purpose and the ability to deconflict as he has given a new lease of life to UIDAI. This needs to be flagged for the decisiveness as well for the ability of the Prime Minister to sweep the path clear of mines like 'committee of secretaries'. Just a few days back I followed an 'Arnabesque' debate on 'your' channel where the mandarins of internal security argued for the National Population Register and attempted to dismiss the UIDAI citing fears of fake identity and the problems of illegal immigrants getting Aadhar cards etc etc. On the other hand the advocates of UIDAI extolled the efforts and the scale of the exercise already undertaken in creating id's and obtaining biometrics etc. In this din of NPR vs UIDAI I was afraid that we will lose sight of the objective and once again turf wars will lead to annulling a mammoth achievement. It is high time we stop talking at each other seeing points of divergence. We need to start knitting points of convergence, looking for each others strengths and utilising these to progress towards the goal. So how about the UIDAI continuing to do its job apace creating a comprehensive data bank of all people actually existing in India, give everyone an AADHAR with a rider that discovery of fraudulent (id) data by the NPR or any appointed security agency will lead to prosecution. Some time back I had work with the RTO at New Delhi and they insisted that they will not progress my work unless I show an AADHAR card. I was furious but that provided he impetus for me to get an AADHAR card for myself and my family. We need to continue UIDAI and progressively knit in all other data banks to bring data convergence PAN, Passport, Driving License, Voters ID can all be progressively integrated keeping one data bank as a master. Of course falsification of id's detected at any one process demanding greater checks should naturally lead to penal action. So while it looked as if left flank and right flank were competing to score an own goal instead of collaborating to reach the goal It appears that Mr Modi has coached the players to pass the ball to keep possession and weave a way through the enemy and reach the goal. Similar lessons are waiting to be learnt on a whole lot of other domains....creating a Maritime Security Authority, a CDS are just a couple of cases in point. I would like to submit a word of caution Mr Prime Minister, with its emphasis on turn over rates and speed, the AADHAR process was susceptible to compromise. A word of caution to the naysayers....it is no joke to motivate people to come forth and enlist themselves to collect personal data including biometrics and then link it to bank data. So lets use AADHAR for what it is the basis or foundation to create and progress towards "AADHUNIQ" (AADHAR ver 2.0) with all deficiencies and anomalies of AADHAR addressed and with data integrated from all other key data banks. All the best India, all the best Mr PM.
