Make Aadhaars fool-proof

Although by default, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has come to accept the truth that Aadhaar or Aadhaar number could be misused. Realising the ‘gaffe’, it backtracked and withdrew its May 27th pressnote released soon thereafter.
The press release on May 27th had advised people not to share the photocopy of their Aadhaar with any organization because it can be misused. It then went on to advise that if the use of Aadhaar was indeed required, it should be used by masking the whole range of numbers barring the last four digits. It had further advised that public cyber centers may be avoided for downloading e-Aadhaar. If indeed it was inevitable, one should be cautious enough to delete all the downloaded copies of e-Aadhaar permanently from that computer.
Notwithstanding the official claims, the advisory and its quick withdrawal have only strengthened the skepticism and doubt about the safety of the personal data which has both demographic as well as biometric dimensions. In its size and dimension, Aadhaar Authority can legitimately claim to be one of the largest databases around the globe. The current episode only highlights vulnerability from the security point of view.   Even earlier this year, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had flagged several issues in its report on the performance audit about the security and use of the card which has assumed mandatory status in fulfilling official formalities. First among the flaws it had pointed out was unsatisfactory rate of biometric authentification. It had said that “All Aadhaar numbers were not paired with the documents relating to personal information of the holders”. It is pointed out that during 2018-19, more than 73% of the total 3.04 crore holders whose biometric data was faulty, made voluntary biometric updates after payment of charges. The CAG interpreted the poor quality of captured data to dismiss the uniqueness of the identity. It even asked the Authority to review its decision to charge fee for the voluntary updating as it was not owing to their (holders’) fault.
The CAG had even questioned the uniqueness of Aadhaar numbers issued to children below the age of five based on the biometrics of their parents. It had held the Authority responsible for wasting Rs. 310 crore on issue of Bal Aadhaars till March 31, 2019. It had directed it to find alternative ways of establishing the children’s identity, especially in the light of the directive from the Supreme Court that no benefit will be denied to any child for want of Aadhaar.
It was also pointed out that the failure to deliver the Aadhaar Card to large number of addressees should be due to either the inaccurate addressees or inadequacy of logistic partner, i.e., the Department of Posts. In the light of the issues raised by the CAG, it is imperative that the UIDAI initiate measures to make the whole process foolproof. Given the size and dimension of the work, the deficiencies and flaws in the monumental system are natural and the Authority can only be advised to tighten the mechanism and take remedial measures.