Aadhaar

Aadhaar ( Hindi आधार , z. German foundation ) is a personal identification number for every citizen of India . This twelve-digit number is used to store biometric and biographical data in a central database at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). This system was introduced on a voluntary basis in 2009 and has been de facto mandatory since July 12, 2016 in order to be able to use all state benefits. In the next step, the health data of every citizen should be linked to their aad hair. The Indian Supreme Court ruled in a controversial ruling on September 26, 2018 that Aadhaar is fundamentally compatible with the Indian Constitution and Indian data protection law.

With 1.2 billion registered members, Aadhaar is the largest biometric database worldwide (as of June 11, 2017). It is estimated that 99% of the population are over 18 years of age.

Scope of coverage

The following figures are based on the State-Wise Saturation Report. The percentages relate to the assumed population figures.

rank	State	population	AADHAAR accounts	% the population
	INDIA	1,278,229,800	1,162,041,325	91%
1	Delhi	17,720,573	21,479,439	121%
2	Haryana	26,816,977	28.007.365	104%
3	Telangana	37.253.813	38.237.092	103%
4th	Punjab	29,303,888	30,159,891	103%
5	Himachal Pradesh	7,252,406	7,494,280	103%
6th	Chandigarh	1,115,584	1,152,420	103%
7th	Lakshadweep	68.149	69,517	102%
8th	Goa	1,541,892	1,578,121	102%
9	Kerala	35,315,493	35,591,640	101%
10	Dadra & Nagar Haveli	362,649	364,560	101%
11	Uttarakhand	10,700,897	10,702,135	100%
12	Pondicherry	1,316,320	1,301,836	99%
13	A & N Islands	401,882	397.365	99%
14th	Jharkhand	34,869,720	34,364,493	99%
15th	Chhattisgarh	27,014,896	26,577,971	98%
16	Andhra Pradesh	52.229.924	51,045,447	98%
17th	Madhya Pradesh	76.789.374	73.506.231	96%
18th	Gujarat	62,100,000	59.370.087	96%
19th	Maharashtra	118.861.427	112,880,753	95%
20th	Tripura	3,882,999	3,677,735	95%
21st	Karnataka	64.660.412	61.358.420	95%
22nd	Sikkim	642.776	599,620	93%
23	Tamil Nadu	76.304.287	70.811.070	93%
24	West Bengal	96.622.186	89.880.278	93%
25th	Odisha	44,369,413	40,549,662	91%
26th	Rajasthan	72,583,213	65.226.218	90%
27	Uttar Pradesh	211.105.381	185.446.237	88%
28	Bihar	109.798.353	93,063,492	85%
29	Daman & Diu	256.937	211.187	82%
30th	Manipur	2,878,911	2,161,895	75%
31	Arunachal Pradesh	1,462,443	1,024,769	70%
32	Mizoram	1,154,010	804.972	70%
33	Jammu Kashmir	13.273.505	9,136,975	69%
34	Nagaland	2,094,963	1,189,796	57%
35	Meghalaya	3,135,150	317.143	10%
36	Assam	32,968,997	2,291,348	7%

costs

Since the start of the project in 2009, the Indian government has spent almost EUR 2 billion in taxpayers' money on Aadhaar ( INR 87,939 billion as of March 31, 2017).

Expenditure by UIDAI (by year)

Budget year	expenditure
2009-10	INR 262 million
2010-11	INR 2,684 billion
2011-12	INR 11,875 billion
2012–13	13,387 billion INR
2013-14	15,444 billion INR
2014–15	INR 16,153 billion
2015–16	INR 16,791 billion
2016–17	INR 11,328 billion
total	INR 87,939 billion

Aadhaar card

The aadhaar card is an A4 document (often also called aadhaar letter ) on glossy paper or as a PDF .

Upper part:

1. Unique Identification Authority of India, Government of India (In official language and English)
2. ID number
3. Name of the ID card holder
4. Name of father or husband
5. address
6. Phone number
7. Electronic signature
8. QR code
9. Creation date and date of the download
10. Aadhaar membership number
11. Emblem of the Republic of India and AADHAAR logo
12. General information about AADHAAR
13. Text:
    • Aadhaar is a proof of identity, not of citizenship.
    • To establish identity, authenticate online.
    • This is an electronically generated letter.
    • Aadhaar is valid throughout the country.
    • Aadhaar will be helpful in availing Government and Non-Government services in future.

Lower part:

1. Government of India (In official language and English)
2. photo
3. Full name
4. Date of birth
5. gender
6. QR code
7. ID number
8. Aadhaar membership number
9. Unique Identification Authority of India
10. Name of father or husband
11. address

The QR code contains an extract of the data in XML format in English.

1. Aadhaar membership number
2. Full name
3. gender
4. Year of birth
5. Name of father or husband
6. address
7. Full date of birth

Aadhaar as a digital identity

In fact, the Aadhaar number represents a digital identity. The document is generally provided as a PDF, contains a QR code with data in XML format and can be expanded to include numerous other data such as iris scans , fingerprints and photos. This can be used for multi-factor authentication, for example.

The journalist Rachna Khaira was charged with fraud after discovering a privacy scandal while accessing the database. For just 500 rupees, she managed to buy access.

Only with Aadhaar can you open a bank account, get a phone number or credit card, claim social benefits, file your tax return or get married. India's Supreme Court is therefore examining whether Aadhaar is allowed to serve such mandatory state tasks or whether this violates the privacy of citizens.

Weaknesses in social benefits

Needy people also authenticate themselves with aadhaar to receive food aid. In 2019, activists documented cases in which the system did not recognize people, or in which entire areas had no access to the central server due to an internet failure and thus no possibility of data comparison. Several deaths from starvation have been attributed to Aadhaar.

Web links

Supporting voices

• A cost-benefit analysis of Aadhaar . National Institute of Public Finance and Policy . November 9, 2012.
• Nandan Nilekani, Viral Shah: Rebooting India: Realizing a Billion Aspirations . Penguin Group, India 2015, ISBN 978-0-670-08789-1 , p. 340.

Critical voices

• Rajanish Dass: Unique Identification for Indians: A Divine Dream or a Miscalculated Heroism? . IIM Ahmedabad . March 2011.
• Ghost savings: Understanding the fiscal impacts of India's LPG subsidy , International Institute for Sustainable Development . September 30, 2015. 
• Deciphering Aadhar bill, its benefits and privacy issues
• A rant on Aadhaar
• India Loves Data but Fails to Protect It, New York Times March 4, 2018
• Rice against fingerprints: digital mania and hunger in India
• Supreme Court agrees to hear plea on Jharkhand starvation deaths in two weeks
• SC to hear starvation death plea in 2 weeks

Individual evidence

1. ↑ About UIDAI . UIDAI. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
2. ^ The sham reform . Zeit Online , March 11, 2018; accessed on March 12, 2018
3. ↑ Indian data protection law: Aadhaar is declared constitutional. beck community, accessed October 30, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Public Data Portal . UIDAI. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 12, 2017. 
5. ↑ Public Data Portal State Wise Saturation . UIDAI. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 4, 2017. 
6. ↑ ^{a b} UIDAI Finance and Budge Section . Retrieved June 6, 2017.
7. ↑ The Aadhaar system of biometric identification has inspired important debates. Let's look at these debates and try to provide some clarity. ( en-US )
8. ^ India: Leak from state database - investigations against journalists. In: heise online. Retrieved April 3, 2018 . 
9. ↑ Michael Radunski: The world's largest biometric recording project is in crisis. In: heise online. Retrieved October 30, 2018 . 
10. ^ Rebecca Ratcliffe: How a glitch in India's biometric welfare system can lead to starvation . The Guardian, October 15, 2019