DNA Edit: Linking sim card with Aadhaar a huge exercise

In a country of 1.3 billion people with a stupendous rise in mobile telephony in the past few years, the linking of Aadhaar with sim card is an essential strategy in the battle against fake identities. The Supreme Court order of February 2017, prompted by a PIL by NGO Lokniti Foundation, seeks to terminate a widespread fraudulent practice of obtaining mobile connections by producing fake information.

By February 2018, the government, acting on the apex court’s instruction, will have to complete this mammoth task, rendered all the more difficult by the fact that 90 per cent of the 105 crore mobile phone users are on pre-paid plans. For a path-breaking welfare scheme that purports to reach out to the poor and simultaneously crack down on income tax evasion and pilferage of government aid, plugging the loopholes at an early stage will enable the government to keep its initiatives transparent and free of glitches. The government, along with Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), is also planning to link Aadhaar to the financial market transactions to monitor illegal practices.

However, those crying hoarse over the prospects of identity theft and Big Brother snooping on the citizens would be the first to raise a battle cry if they find Aadhaar’s benefits are misused. The government has assured SC that mobile operators will only collect the data and send it to UIDAI servers in encrypted form, thus mitigating fears that telecom service providers will have access to biometric information. There are other angles to this initiative. Amid heightened fears of national security and terrorist threats, it is imperative to create a bulwark against a thriving ecosystem created by elements that aspire to bleed India with a thousand cuts. These include enemies both within and outside our borders.

All along, governments at the Centre and states, despite knowing the dangers posed by fake connections, have allowed a perilous practice to continue. The Centre’s priorities are cast in stone. It wants to go for a complete overhaul of a system that has allowed the twin evils of corruption and terrorism to strike deep roots in India. But an element of uncertainty hovers in the background. What if the Supreme Court strikes down Aadhaar as unconstitutional in the light of the right to privacy? Will that signal a return to square one? Aadhaar’s importance in the life of a citizen and the security of a nation is undeniable. The coming days will be crucial as a battle ensues in the apex court.