Nilekani-PC differ on UID data safety; Aadhar hits roadblock

New Delhi, Nov 18: Looks like the much hyped Unique Identification project had to face a fall from glory when Union Home Minister P Chidambaram commented that the biometric census done for the same did not pass the security criteria. Popular channel CNN-IBN accessed letters written by Chidambaram and the Registrar General that expressed fear of misuse of the data collected.

The Home Minister also stated that the issue should be taken up by the Cabinet Committee on UID on priority. He said, "The possibility of fake identity profile in the UID data is real."

With the issue snowballing into something huge, the new confusion is regarding who has the authority to collect the biometric data of Indians. UIDAI Chairperson Nandan Nilekani rubbished the allegations and said, "The Aadhaar cards have been given based on the UID data taken as per the accepted procedure."

In a further blow to the safety aspect of the Aadhar UID cards, Chidambaram in his letter to Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia stated that the data collected for UID does not meet the criteria laid out under the National Population Register with regards to national security.

Nilekani, clearing doubts was quoted as saying, "As far as the enrollment of residents is concerned, the UIDAI follows three methods (approved by Demographics Standards and Verification Procedure Committee) for collecting data: Document based, Introducer based as well as the NPR process. This data (both demographic and Biometric) is the basis on which the unique Aadhaar number is issued."

The contentious issue is understood to be that any person can get a UID card without any checks. There are also chances of fake profiles and terrorists making use of the opportunity to make themselves a UID card.

Aadhar has been able to make 12 crore UID numbers at a budget of Rs 470 crore with plans to cover population of 20 crores.

OneIndia News