Day 19 – Q 4.Is Aadhar an indispensable tool for better administration and effective distribution of government services? Shouldn’t good governance take precedence over privacy concerns? Examine.

4. Is Aadhar an indispensable tool for better administration and effective distribution of government services? Shouldn’t good governance take precedence over privacy concerns? Examine. 

क्या बेहतर प्रशासन और सरकारी सेवाओं के प्रभावी वितरण के लिए आधार एक अनिवार्य उपकरण है? क्या गोपनीयता संबंधी चिंताओं पर सुशासन को प्राथमिकता नहीं लेनी चाहिए? जांच करें।

Introduction:

Aadhar is a 12-digit unique identity number provided by Unique Identification Authority of India, which has been made mandatory for availing certain services provided by Central and State government.

Body:

Aadhar is indispensable tool for better administration and effective distribution:

• Saving: It has helped exchequer save over 50 thousand crores in form of DBT.
• Mismanagement: It has helped in checking mismanagement of funds, stocks and delivery of products and services.
• Diversion: It has helped in checking diversion of food and fertilizer stocks from reaching Black market.
• Transparency and accountability: It has helped in bringing about transparency and accountability of service providers like PDS shops.
• Targeted delivery: It helps delivery of services to targeted beneficiaries and finding out the deserving ones.  
• Fraud: It has helped in weeding out bogus claims and ghost members.

Aadhar is not indispensable:

• Ratio card: Already ratio cards existed, this could have been strengthened using IT than bringing this new project.
• DBT: A fixed minimum amount could have been transferred to the bank accounts of those who are living below poverty line. It could have helped save government from many other functions like procurement, storing, distribution etc.
• Fertilizer: Neem coated urea has become mandatory, reduction of quantity per baggage etc. could have helped check black marketing, savings in subsidy and diversion for unintended usage.
• Failure proof: Also Aadhar is not fail proof system and already any complaints have been raised about safety and security of our Data stored from going into wrong hands.  

Good governance cannot be cited as a reason for mandatory Aadhar enrollment. There should be balance between both. Privacy is also equally important to humans. It is what makes us lead a respectable and dignified life unlike animals. Also Supreme court in its latest Justice Puttaswamy Vs Union of India case has passed verdict that Privacy is also one of the Fundamental rights under Art 21 i.e. Right to life.

Also there are other issues with Aadhar:

• Surveillance state: The Data taken might lead to state sponsored surveillance.
• Cyber security: There is fool profile data protection law in country and also specific infrastructure to deal with any cyber-attacks to Aadhar Data.
• Data Leak: Major Data leak has occurred in recent pasts and in case of going into wrong hands can cause massive damage on large scale.   

Conclusion:

Achieving “minimum government and maximum governance” is the agenda of government, for that there are many other better alternative tools, Aadhar need not be/cannot be the only solution which can also put our privacy at stake.

No Best Answer.