[Reader-list] Public Meeting on UID (Aug.25, 2010 Constitution Club)

[Anivar Aravind]

A CAMPAIGN FOR NO UID

TILL COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION

21st August 2010

Dear Friend,

Since May 2009, the UID project is under implementation. Even though
any legislation sanctioning it is yet to be passed in parliament, the
UID authority is functioning. Rs.19,500 million have been allocated to
the project. In addition to this allocation, the census expenditure
has a budget of Rs. 30,230 million. The UIDAI plans to use the census
data, to issue Aadhar numbers. The total project is estimated to cost
Rs. 1500 billion. The budget for the Authority was passed with the GoI
annual budget but without discussion on it or setting up of UIDAI.

The UID project envisages recording ten finger prints and iris scan of
all people residing in India, allocating a unique number to each
individual whose biometric data is captured, and storing it in a
database with other basic information such as: name, parent’s name,
date of birth, gender, and address. Clearly, the UID project will
affect everyone residing in India. To ensure proper implementation it
is important to carry out a detailed study of the project's viability
and feasibility. That the project has been launched without such a
study is a matter of grave concern.

The authority presents the UID project to the public as a way to
prevent leakages in the PDS and MGNREGS. If the project could achieve
this, it would be a welcome solution, but even a cursory examination
reveals several reasons why this objective seems impossible to
achieve. Among these is the fact that many countries, after trying
similar projects, have abandoned them because they were found to be
incapable of achieving their projected objectives and posed high
security risks. For example: in a study that was conducted by the
London School of Economics on the UK Government's National ID card
scheme, it was found that it would not achieve the objective of
preventing illegal immigration and further that such a central
database would itself become a target for terrorists, The new elected
UK government scrapped the project in June 2010.

The UID project also raises many questions concerning the abuse of
personal data gathered in the process. The collection and logging of
data, done in the manner proposed by the UIDAI, is in effect similar
to “phone tapping”, a practice which can be abused by those overseeing
it. The data collection itself is outsourced to private agencies. The
linkages provided by UID to a person's data that is collected for the
UID to other databases, such as bank accounts or mobile phone
companies have the potential for serious abuse. Despite these
concerns, the UIDAI has already taken initiatives, such as
collaborating with many multinational and Indian private companies for
gathering data and setting up / maintaining the database.

This meeting is organised to discuss UID's lack of a feasibility
study, huge cost, legality and real danger of abuse. Hence, we invite
you to come for a public discussion where people from many diverse
groups will express their viewpoints on the subject on -

25th August 2010 from 10.00 am to 6.00 p.m.

at the Constitution Club Auditorium, Rafi Marg, New Delhi.

High-Tea and meeting with MPs: 4 pm to 6 pm.

This will be an interactive meeting in which, we hope you will be able
to gain insight into this immense project, its costs and impacts.
Please confirm your participation in the workshop at
insafdelhi at gmail.com. This would help us make the necessary
arrangements for your convenience.

In Solidarity -

Alternative Law Forum, Citizen Action Forum, Delhi Forum, PEACE,
People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) – Karnataka, Moving
Republic, Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), National Campaign for
Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), Slum Janandolana – Karnataka, The Center
for Internet and Society (CIS) and many other organisations and
concerned individuals.





--
"[It is not] possible to distinguish between 'numerical' and
'nonnumerical' algorithms, as if numbers were somehow different from
other kinds of precise information." - Donald Knuth