The SC has made a few caustic observations about the
Congress’s ambitious Aadhar program. While no one can fault the specific
observations made by the Apex court, the SC could have used language that
encouraged this progressive initiative of the government. It needn’t have
looked like a rebuke (The TOI yesterday reported “The Supreme Court on Monday dealt a crippling blow to the UPA’s
showpiece Aadhaar scheme”). Rather than getting disheartened, the
government must work on the SC’s observations and make Aadhar all-pervasive.
One of the rulings made by the SC is that the Aadhar card
should only be given to Indian citizens. This is perfectly right. After all, if
the purpose of Aadhar is to identify Indians, it should only be given to
Indians. The Social Security card in the US is given only to Americans after
all, right? The reality is that this ruling hardly affects the actual program.
The number of illegal immigrants is rather limited – a few millions, largely
from Bangladesh, and largely limited to the East/North-East. Putting a process of
verification of Indian citizenship may be cumbersome, but its not such a
difficult thing to do. The government must develop new means, not relying only
on the police (which we know is inefficient), of identifying citizenship.
The other observation is that the Aadhar card should be
voluntary. This means that the government cannot deny the benefits of its
subsidy programs to those who do not opt for the card. This also is fair, given
that in a democracy, sharing personal information like biometrics should be
voluntary. However, this ruling is also not a problem, for if the government
links cash dole-outs to Aadhar, there is an in-built incentive for the poor to
enroll. Who doesn’t want cash in hand, instead of the poor service and
sub-standard grains he gets at a PDS shop?
Why I am saying that the SC should have used encouraging
language is because of the massive benefits that it brings for the country. If
anything, it is an example of exemplary governance. India would be ahead of even
developed countries with this program. One of the biggest benefits that has
already been highlighted enough is that of cutting wasteful subsidies. Today, many
beneficiaries avail of a higher quota of foodgrains than they are eligible for,
by faking the identities of others. With a biometric card, this would become a
thing of the past, cutting subsidies dramatically (by some estimates, by
25-50%).
But there are at least three other major benefits that the
Aadhar programme achieves.
First, it is a bold move to cut corruption out of the
entire PDS system. With payment being routed directly into the beneficiary’s
bank a/c, there is no role left for middlemen. The PDS shopkeeper who routinely
diverts foodgrains to the market for profit will be unable to do so, as
beneficiaries will buy their requirements in the open market. In the case of
MNREGA payments, the role of the contractor would be substantially reduced
(though it will continue to exist, because the contractor would still be the
one certifying the work done by a beneficiary). Ditto in other government
schemes, where concepts like “facilitation fees” and “speed money” account for
a bulk of the corruption.
Second, and no one has pointed this out, is the
impact that biometrics will have on solving crime. Every criminal leaves behind
tell-tale signs of his act. Investigators can lift finger-prints from most
crime scenes. The problem is that these finger-prints are useless without a
database of finger-prints of all citizens of the country. With Aadhar, that
becomes a reality. In the future, every finger-print lifted from a crime scene
can be identified, thanks to Aadhar. Most crimes would get solved. Our investigation
work would be better – hence the innocent won’t have to suffer. More
importantly, the real criminals will be put behind bars with a definite
certainty.
Third, Aadhar’s role in social inclusiveness is
unparalleled. My own driver finally managed to open his bank account in SBI
with his Aadhar card. Now I can pay him by cheque or electronic transfer,
bringing his finances into the open. He is kicked about having a debit card,
and if he starts paying more using his card, our economy will become more
“documented”. The benefits to him, in terms of safety of cash, availability
whenever he wants it, being able to earn interest, etc are huge. Transferring
money across states – like all migrants do to their families in the villages –
becomes easy. Also, since most people already have mobile phones, the
advantages of mobile phone banking could be brought to them.
That’s why I get upset when politics enters this vital
transformational agenda of the government. The BJP hates Aadhar because it
knows that it is proof of the Congress’s commitment to the poor. And a sign of
good governance. BJP supporters (readers of my blog) make inane comments like “the photo is of poor quality” or “the card looks trashy” when they comment
on Aadhar. Other critics have pointed out the several start-up problems that
the government has faced in is Direct Benefits Transfer (Cash transfers)
program. But lets not forget, this is just a start. We must expect teething
problems. But we shouldn’t give up. The benefits are just too enormous for us
to give up.
The real truth is that Aadhar is a revolutionary
move. It is evidence of good governance. It should be supported by all who want
to weed out corruption. It has huge benefits in reducing crime. It’s impact on
social inclusiveness, and the resultant transparency it brings out, is
profound. We must support the program, not politicize it….
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