[Reader-list] Smart cards for ESIC beneficiaries launched-210

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear Jeebesh,

As you might have noticed that my argument keeps in mind underlying
assumptions presented by the GOI in the press, before the inauguration
of MNIC/UIDAI regime which points towards a multiplicity of identity
documents and because of lack any interoperability mechanism, a
perception of confusion of personal identification data was vigorously
put forth. A need was subsequently expressed by the proponents of the
MNIC card for a unified interoperable smart identity document.

Therefore I was quite curious to read a news report which suggested a
slight shift away from Government's earlier stated position. Now the
GOI seems to be saying that it is okay to have multiple cards. Till
date we do not know of explanations for this shift.

My questions in the previous mail on this thread were addressed to
understand this shift in the view of a previously expressed need of
the GOI to do away with a range of individual identity documents.

I hope that clears some air!

However, please forgive me, but I did not understand your assertion at all.

As you put it- 'The present plurality of cards is beneficial to people
and a smart card plurality will also help people negotiate the system
better'

I am sorry to say but I find this view, ridiculous and totally bizzare!!

Although I admit I may be completely wrong in interpreting what seems
like a cogent argument, however my take is as follows-

 The GOI is comprised up of fifty Ministries, nine Commissions, two
departments, one bureau and one directorate (
http://goidirectory.nic.in/exe.htm ) Each Ministry and each Commission
has its own set of employees. Each ministry is further divided into a
number of departments.Then there are twenty eight provincial states
and seven union territories. At the provincial level a government is
made up of at least forty to sixty departments. This figure varies
from state to state. The govt. of Rajasthan, for instance, has
sixty-six departments (
http://www.rajasthan.gov.in/external/website/showwebsitedepartment )
Then we may add to a  number so obtained after summing up all the
federal and provincial ministries, departments, a figure of- two
hundred and thirty seven - which is the number of public sector
undertakings of Central Government of India
(http://dpe.nic.in/survey01/vol1/APENDIX3.pdf )

 If hypothetically every government department and ministry and
commission and provincial government department and PSU's starts to
issue its own smart cards pertaining to individual identification and
do not care about interoperability then don't you think that this
particular gesture on behalf of the GOI and other provincial
governments would unnecessary escalate the cost of mapping the people
of India many times over?

Do you really think that it would be for the good of all and
beneficial to all, were, the projected costs which are already
touching close of 1.5 lakh crore rupees, to double or triple or
quadruple in the course of this mindless exercise of heterogeneous
distribution of smart cards?

For some perhaps while expanding on a possible entanglement of
plurality of cards with multiplicity of databases on individual
identity and it's intended benefits to the people of India, one could
perhaps point towards a forseability  of imagined fears, which comes
with the idea of living in a database nation but the question then
really is, Is it worth the money?

For others, the idea seems to be clear, you may run but you cannot
hide and I would be glad to go over any set of  arguments which you
may want to suggest in this regard.

Warm regards

Taha