Slashdot Mirror
India To Issue Over a Billion Biometric ID Cards
angrytuna writes "The Unique Identification Authority is a new state department in India charged with assigning every living Indian an exclusive number and biometric ID card. The program is designed to alleviate problems with the 20 current types of proof of identity currently available. These problems range from difficulties for the very poor in obtaining state handouts, corruption, illegal immigration, and terrorism issues. Issuing the cards may be difficult, however, as less than 7% of the population is registered for income tax, and voter lists are thought to be inaccurate, partly due to corruption. The government has said the first cards will be issued in 18 months."
They have problems with people trying to get INTO India? I thought everyone wanted to get out!
Illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Nepal
Terrorists from Pakistan
Refugees from Sri Lanka (and to a tiny extent, Burma)
You need to get out of your little well once in a while.
very badly. Considering there are different cards for almost everything in which you need an identification check, this was long required. I have card A for casting my vote, B for getting my LPG supply for cooking, C for getting subsidized food. If I lose any one of them, I have to go through the entire process again which involves around four to five working days and bribing corrupt government officials who are not ready to work. For getting a thing as simple as cellphone connection, I have to submit at least 3 identification documents - my voter card, my driving license and a college confirmation letter (in case you are a student). This has been done to check the use of mobile phones by terrorists, but since there is no standardized identification, it hurts the common man who just needs to get his work done. We are all looking forward to this. Lets just hope it gets through.
I am an Indian and what he's saying is true. Its not about being impatient and rude, its about making it or getting left behind. It may sound like a troll, but things actually ARE like that. If you want some thing to be done, there's two ways to do it India:
1. Pay someone (generally a middle-man/agent) and get your work done (be it anything, from getting a new phone connection/water connection/submitting some form for your passport etc).
2. Stand with the crowd, elbowing, pushing and shoving for hours before you're told to come back with more documents.
True story. I've done this everywhere including filling up any University form, to getting my passport, to getting into a train/bus to just plain old admissions into any college/school.
Grandparent is not trolling, but stating an absolute truth.
Real men read Slashdot articles at -1, bottom up.