Aadhaar numbers: An equation that doesn't add up

Accounting errors, vagaries of statistics are subverting the country's move

In the first of a three-part series, Business Standard looks at the mismatches in Aadhaar numbers.

In October 2016, when Jharkhand made a bold move towards a “paperless” public distribution system (PDS), linking the disbursement of foodgrain to individual Aadhaar cards with biometric identification, many hailed the move as a step in the right direction. 

Four months later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed in the Lok Sabha that by using Aadhaar and biometric technology, the government had unearthed 39.5 million “bogus” ration cards. However, a recent series of Right to Information (RTI) applications has revealed that some of the