Aadhar: your unique own identity

Give me the answer to a simple question-How many cards and certificates do you have to identify yourself as a citizen of India? Well, simple it may sound, but it can lead to a very confusing and misleading answer. Some may have one, some may have two, and some may have three or even more. For driving you need a driving license, for getting to school you need the birth certificate, for working you need a PAN card or for going out, you need a passport. So doesn’t it sound too ambiguous and also inconvenient to manage so many cards for different purposes? Well, with the new Unique Identification Card (UIN Card), all these can be a thing of the past and land up in waste paper baskets. Named as ‘AADHAR’, this unique project aims to provide only one and individual identification to every citizen of the country. If implemented well, it can indeed prove to be a milestone.


Constituted in 2008, this ambitious project is headed by ace industrialist and market guru, Mr. Nandan Nilekani. Well, I guess Mr. Nilekani needs no introduction. He is one of those business professionals who has revolutionized the entire concept of doing business in India and has had a huge contribution in making our nation a global economic player. Under the chairmanship of a person of such high caliber, one can surely foster high hopes about the AADHAR project.

So what are the factors that can make AADHAR highly fruitful? In the words of Mr. Nilekani, it can act as a chain which will link all Indians together. Starting from Itanagar to Thiruvananthapuram, everyone will have their own unique identity, which can be used for multi tasking purposes. The Unique Identification Authority of India, which is funding the project, expects to create around 600 million cards over the next 5 years. Starting from the cities, the whole of India will be covered with the decade. According to Nilekani, “Aadhar would bring true transparency at grassroots level”.

Once you have the Unique Identification Number, no other cards will be needed. Starting from a license to a passport, this card will serve as everything. Whether you are enrolling for school or applying for a visa, the UIN will be your first and final identity. Surprising as it may sound, but it can even be used for getting loans. Just like the documents we need to provide for a loan, we have to provide our UIN and the entire verification will de done through it. Really, an astonishingly convenient way to get things done

Unlike any other identity card, ‘Aadhar’ will have finger prints and retina scan of the card holder, which will easily help distinguish one person from the other. Experts say that this can significantly minimize fraud and mishandling of identities. Moreover, the card will be software oriented which will make it perfect for electronic usage like bank transfer, fund transfers, currency exchange and so on.

So will ‘Aadhar’, the brain child of Nilekani, be the magic card for every Indian? Well, time can only justify that, but it must indeed be said that the initiative really deserves accolades. In a country with so much diversity, the UIN can really become an example of achievement and unity. Like Mr. Nilekani, we too can hope that “the reason why it (Aadhaar) will work is that people themselves will start seeing the benefits, and they themselves will drive the adoption."