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These are neither simple, nor easily doable. But the bigger problem is cost (time and money). My point was that India should switch to a single card/id for eve
by jeswin 10mo ago
These are neither simple, nor easily doable. But the bigger problem is cost (time and money).
My point was that India should switch to a single card/id for everything, and get rid of everything else including the PAN card. Eventually make Aadhaar digital, and chip based so that it can hold your DL as well. It is it bad for privacy, Yes. But what a country should spend on protecting or preserving privacy is a function of where it is on the socioeconomic ladder. If a single ID helps 80% of Indians (a billion people) navigate the labyrinth of our bureaucracy, I'm ok with it, _today_.
Besides, simpler rules go a long way in reducing the power of govt departments (which we can agree on). It reduces cognitive overload for citizens, as well as for govt workers. Factor in where the rest of India stands in terms of education etc, the value of simple rules cannot be overstated.
As someone who values privacy, there are still ways to do it. You just have to invest a lot more energy and time into it though.
- sateesh 10mo agoWhat you are proposing is too sweeping, it is not just privacy that suffers. Making a single ID (whose attributes can't be changed) an entire identity of a person is a very risky one. This makes it a single point of failure and in cases like an ID theft, misuse the affected person suffers gravely, and onus will be on them to prove who they are, a Kafkaesque nightmare it would be.
- jeswin 10mo agoThere are several countries which use a single ID for all government interfacing. For that matter, Aadhaar is almost there already. I am not suggesting that private companies should use it, or should be allowed to use it. But a single ID will limit babudom arbitrariness a bit. > whose attributes can't be changed Many IDs (outside India) have similar issues, options to change attributes, and various redressal mechanisms.
- sateesh 10mo agoI don't know of how digital IDs are used etc. in other countries and how ubiquitous there usage is. (One ID I'm aware of is social security numbers (SSN) is U.S, but that is considered as PII data and usually companies take steps to protect/mask them). But citing that this is how it is done elsewhere is just an appeal to tradition/common practice and not necessarily addresses the points I had made.
- captn3m0 10mo ago> a single ID will limit babudom arbitrariness a bit It does not in practice, because Aadhaar data is a unverified source of big messes. As several examples: - UP Gov does not believe Aadhaar to be a proof of date of birth https://www.newsonair.gov.in/up-government-clarifies-that-aadhaar-is-not-accepted-as-birth-certificate-or-proof-of-birth/ https://www.newsonair.gov.in/up-government-clarifies-that-aa... - UIDAI has stated that it is not a proof of citizenship, DoB, or address: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/aadhaar-not-proof-of-citizenship-address-or-birthdate-sau-uidai-chief/articleshow/123395045.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/aadhaar-not... - EPFO no longer accepts it https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/government-makes-citizenship-disclaimer-on-new-aadhaar-cards-more-prominent/article67780076.ece https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/government-makes-citi...