Letters: The Aadhaar ecosystem

The editorial, "The benefits of Aadhaar" (January 8), concentrates only on its significance for the savings in subsidies by weeding out multiple claims by individuals - a process called de-duplication - under the Direct Benefits Transfer scheme. Though this is significant, it is only a fringe benefit.

Aadhaar was primarily conceived as a proof of identification that could be universally confirmed online from a biometric database, serving millions, especially migrant workers who were away from home. Aadhaar is a complete ecosystem with benefits flowing across the board to society - for banks, crime prevention, attendance management and so on.

Biometrics - along with the captured demographic details of residents - can help banks open thousands of accounts online by using the perfected and Reserve Bank of India-approved e-KYC (Know Your Customer) method, giving a boost to financial inclusion efforts. However, banks have failed to provide online biometric authentication facilities at branches and business correspondent (BC) levels. The final recommendations at the Gyan Sangam, therefore, rightly ask banks to provide infrastructure support for implementing an Aadhaar-enabled payment system and better management of BCs.

If past experience is a guide, Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory until it is provided a legal basis. It should be a priority for the government, as another Supreme Court intervention has the potential to stall its various initiatives.

Y P Issar, Karnal

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