Final Paper

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India has implemented the largest biometric identification program in the world. Called Aadhaar or “foundation” in Hindi, the program will manage and collect the biometric data on a projected 600 million people or roughly half of India’s population by march 2014. This paper will argue the socioeconomic dynamic in India supports this program over issues including; privacy, security, and the eventuality and implications of compromised data. This biometric identification program integrates fingerprints, iris scans and facial photography. The program streamlines the validation process of documented citizens, establishes numeric identities for residents previously unable or impossible to identify, and assists monitoring the migration of workers. Government payments are now being linked directly to welfare recipients and will also conceptually reduce factors like corruption and payoffs that regularly impede aid intended for hungry citizens. The argument will outline the utilization of biometrics, an ICT with focus on human biological data. This benchmark Indian program carries profound cultural significance by linking and legitimizing millions of unidentified or undocumented citizens as well as creating the largest biometric database ever. In addition, many participants of the program have been unable or denied the opportunity to vote, enroll in sponsored aid programs, establish banking relationships, and even bequeathing property because of incomplete or missing identification. (Tewery, 2013) Essentially, millions of citizens will be recognized and integrated thereby granting them economic and political inclusion they could not access otherwise. The program is on track to account for 600 million citizens under India’s welfare progr...

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...rifiable identity, will show to be an invaluable tool monitoring the migration of workers, and will give millions of India’s poorest a leg up. The fear and skepticism advanced by critics has not resonated with the Indian citizenry and has had little negative effect. My opinion of the performance of Nandan Nilekani, chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, is very high. I think he is superbly qualified for this undertaking and hindsight has proven he was the right man for the job. He has also shown an enormous personal interest in the welfare of the Indian people by personally contributing tens millions of dollars to welfare programs. Another commendation for this huge project is that is has remained on track for the collection 600,000,000 records by March of next year. So far, the program is delivering as promised and its objectives are being met.

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