[Reader-list] UID: Correlation of data may result in abuse of civil rights- 181

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear All

Please do not get enamored by the headline of this opinion piece by an
industry man. This is out and out PR story by Kiran Karnik, who is so
passionately arguing for UIDAI, that, who knows,  Nandu might think of
having a golf session with him this weekend. Towards the end of the
piece, he writes his two bits for the sake of -objectivity-. I think
the credit must go to the ET guy who put the headline in bold. I just
so hope that instead of these shoddy PR jobs we could see some genuine
debate on NIC in India.

Warm regards

Taha

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/UID-Correlation-of-data-may-result-in-abuse-of-civil-rights/articleshow/4855434.cms

UID: Correlation of data may result in abuse of civil rights
4 Aug 2009, 1219 hrs IST, Kiran Karnik,

The metaphysical, existential question, “Why am I?” (the purpose of
life) has intrigued humans only marginally more than the psychosocial
query “Who am I?”.

Shakespeare’s answer (“... a rose by any other name would smell as
sweet”) would gladden the generics industry, but offend
individualists. For those with a taste for the absurd or macabre, the
metamorphosis of Kafka’s Gregor Samsa raises deep questions of
identity. Now, instead of psychologists, sociologists or philosophers,
the government of India will help you answer the question.

At long last, after years of dithering, the government is going ahead
with the project of providing a single, unique identification for all
adult residents of India. Like the TV commercial of a telecom company,
multiple, often divisive, identities (caste, religion, region, role)
will be subsumed into a single number.

While many parameters are yet being defined, few projects anywhere
match the scale and complexity of this effort. What is known is that
the Unique Identification Authority (UIDA) will itself not, as was
commonly presumed, issue any kind of ID card; it will confine its role
to providing a number, as a unique identification, to each individual.

Identification will be through biometric characteristics: probably
multiple-finger prints as also face. To ensure non-duplication, the
system must be capable of comparing each new set of biometrics with
those already stored, which will ultimately be hundreds of millions,
so as to determine if it is unique.

Thus, apart from massive data storage, the system must also have the
capability of doing such complex comparisons in quick time. In
addition, the data will not only need to be backed-up in a disaster
recovery site for “business” continuity, but must also be protected
from hacking or other security infringements.

It is not yet clear whether children will be included and issued an
ID; apparently, discussions are on and a decision is yet to be made.
Amongst the challenges is the fact that biometrics recorded at this
age will change over time.

Yet, having an ID for children is critical, for this will enable
recording and tracking of individual data on health, education, etc.,
facilitating follow-up at individual level and appropriate planning at
the macro level. Given the importance of this, one hopes that a
solution will be found, either technologically or sociologically (for
example, through the identity of the mother or guardian).

An ID from birth to death will facilitate a whole host of
applications. It will make possible the tracking of vaccinations,
school entry, health and nutrition status, age at marriage and a range
of other parameters.

While aggregated data would provide valuable inputs for monitoring
specific projects, individual data can be used to ensure appropriate
attention to each person. In all this, UIDA’s role will be crucial,
but limited to providing the universal , unique ID for residents of
India (hopefully, including those below 18 years). It will be for
others to evolve and implement various applications.

Thus, while creating an ID database is absolutely necessary, true
value will emerge only if others use it to do things better and, more
interestingly, do new things. More often than not, high valueadded
applications will require the working together of different
organisations.

For example, the simple process of crediting wages into the bank
account of a NREGA beneficiary will require that the bank, local
administration and NREGA authorities work together, with the UID
serving as the base for authentication, payment and opening of
bank-account. More complex applications, correlating transactions with
an individual, will require greater coordination, access to each
other’s databases, and information-flows across organisational or
ministerial divides.

SUCH applications will necessitate sharing, and occasional ceding, of
turf and free flows of information. It will require re-engineering of
processes and of organisations; gate-keepers will lose power and many
hierarchies will be demolished . Training and change-management will
be essential, as will a major shift in mind-set.

If this can be handled well, the pay-off can be huge. Transparency,
efficiency and accountability will be spinoffs ; better delivery will
change the life of the disadvantaged; migrants will get an identity;
financial “inclusion” will move from concept to reality. Doubtless,
this will have a positive impact on GDP. More importantly, it will be
a big step towards greater social and economic equity.

These are exciting prospects. What provides hope that they are not
mere dreams is one name: Nandan Nilekani. With an outstanding record
of entrepreneurship and management, and a clear and optimistic vision,
there could be no better choice for this onerous task.

Navigating the shoals of bureaucracy and channelising the divergent
forces of politics will, of course, pose major challenges. A universal
smart-card project has been talked of for many years. Each time, it
has floundered on the excessive or proprietary requirements enunciated
by various ministries, and the inability of apex levels to get them to
agree to minimum commonalities as a basis for moving forward.

Persuading various departments and state governments to cooperate with
each other and even cede turf is, therefore, not going to be easy. In
this, he might find useful the successful experience of organisations
like Isro, which has coordinated and orchestrated similar “horizontal”
efforts in space applications projects related to education , health,
rural development, etc.

Along with the immense and obvious potential of UID, one must also
note the possible concerns. Prime amongst these is the fact that
correlation of all the data about an individual from various databases
can easily result in abuse of civil rights. Of course, in these days
of security-mania, such individual rights are easily trampled upon,
with minimum protest; yet, it is noteworthy that many European
countries have safeguards against possible misuse and even in UK,
there has been much debate about whether to have a common ID at all.

While the US has had a Social Security number for decades, the
safeguards against abuse have traditionally been strong. We need
serious thought to make sure that UID does not become a means of
infringing on individuals’ rights and privacy.


(Author is a strategy and policy analyst)