Nandan babu and my finger print... (Part 1/2)

One of the symbolic achievements of the UPA government in the first 100 days has been appointing our Nandan babu .aka. Nandan Nilekani to head the National unique ID (UID) project. Even a congenial critic like me has to appreciate the intent and drive of this government to deliver something unique and invest in a long term plan.

But just as i started hearing about some of the details it was more anxiety than optimism that prevailed about this project. Let me explain why:

1. The massive scale of this project is absolutely unique and the whole world would be watching us as it unfolds. The government will spend around $6 billion on developing smart cards apart from a mammoth citizen database.

2. The first roll out seems to be starting within 12-18 months and promise of rolling out atleast 500m IDs in about 5 years (that is half the country currently) is nothing but impressive.

3. The identity cards proposed will be smart cards which will carry information of each and every individual; his/her finger biometrics as well as a photograph. A unique National Identity Number will be assigned to each individual including those below 18 years of age.

4. The value this can add to a country like ours is immense. ID validation, tracking is possibly applicable in every of our life from banking, credit control / report, subsidy allotment, citizen profiling, tax evasions, illegal transactions, internal security, crime, law & order. You name it, and it is applicable.

But the concerns are the following:

1. Accuracy of data: If we rely on the existing database of Voter ID, PAN cards etc. we all know that the % of errors in these databases is so high. I am not sure how we are going to clean this up. As a country if we have the wherewithal to clean this up, we would have done this already.

2. Illegal entries: It is an open secret and an accepted way of life that you can enter, edit and delete entries in some of these IDs with a generous graft at any point of time. If this is the case, we all have to realize that this UID project would have JUNK OUT, if it’s just JUNK IN.

3. Data privacy: The lacunae here give me jitters. Lets look at the current issues:

1. Buy a new SIM card try activating it in your mobile phone, the first call that you would receive is most probably a marketing call for credit card or personal loan.
2. Our IDs are bought and sold at every level and we have failed to recognize that “ID Marketing” is a huge industry by itself.
3. Indian legal system does not guarantee security and privacy to its citizens like all matured countries do. Ask any expert they would say that there are NO PRIVACY Laws yet in this country.
4. Even if you think that this government shall enact privacy laws our legal system and the overall process for a judicial decision sucks royally. Inefficiency of the judiciary is a clear concern at all levels.
5. Ask anyone in the field of Information security, more than 70% of the information security issues are related to internal reasons of an organization or entity.
6. The extent of awareness of data privacy, information and its security is literally nothing in over 99% of the population. I am being very generous attributing 1% of the population with this knowledge.
7. Even in the best of the corporate houses, the idea of information security is more a marketing tool than a way of life. I have implemented BS7799 in atleast 2 organizations and can tell you with absolute authority on this.

I am receiving alarm that the blog has exceeded the attention span of a normal individual hence .....To be continued in the next blog....

Yours Uniquely

Happy reading!