[Reader-list] Govt plans smart cards for gulf emigrants

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear all

As the story below indicates, what the government of india is doing is
nothing but a classic case of -testing-.

Fingerprints for instance when they were first introduced back in the
early 20th century were  used only for peripheral populations of
criminals, insane and POW. Till big corporates stumbled upon a new
market of security. Now fingerprint technology is so common that even
laptops have it. Hence it does not come as a -surprise- when the
government asks every citizen to be fingerprinted.

No one asks why fingerprints, aren't they supposedly meant for
'criminal population' only? or What will happen to the data gleaned
from the fingerprints? or Who will access that data? or in What ways
will the insight so gained from accessing that data will be used?

Everyone just seems to give their fingerprint because, I think, such
is the trust we have on our governments.

Similarly with the new smart card technology a very sleek rhetoric of
efficiency and interoperability is being pushed forth, as the story
below suggests, the discourse of 'efficiency and security' is being
-tested- on a small peripheral population of foreign workers before
the big shift to Indian nationals will happen.

Regards

Taha


http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/govt-plans-smart-cards-for-gulf-emigrants/18/54/345701/

Govt plans smart cards for gulf emigrants
BS Reporter / Chennai January 09, 2009, 0:36 IST


The government is planning to issue smart cards to the workers who are
immigrating to the Gulf countries for jobs. The Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs is planning to make it mandatory.

K Mohandas, secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs said on the
sidelines of 7th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, that currently
the project is in design stage. The department has appointed
Hyderabad-based National Institute of Smart Governance to carry out a
study including the cost and about the stakeholders.

The project design is expected to be ready by May 2009, and it will be
implemented immediately in a month or two.

To start with, the Ministry is planning to introduce the programme for
Gulf countries. Then it will be introduced to other countries in
phased manner.

"The card would contain all details of the worker including
immigrant's personal details, passport details, work contract,
employer details and his insurance. This data will be available to the
government as well as our missions overseas," he added.