A sincere attempt by Newskarnataka to clear the doubts in the minds of the common man regarding the ambitious project of the Union government.
If ever there is any one word that has caused utter confusion across the nation in the recent times, it is ‘Aadhaar’ beyond doubt. The problem is mainly due to the dearth of information regarding the ambitious project of the Union Government which ensures Unique Identification Number to each citizen. Though the government has opened enrolment centres to facilitate the public to enroll themselves for the Aadhaar card, there has been little improvement in the situation. Even the information disseminated through the visual and print media has failed to effectively reach the common. In this backdrop, NewsKarnataka makes a sincere attempt to assist the common man and clear the doubts that persist over the Aadhaar card.
What is Aadhaar?
Aadhaar is a twelve-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on behalf of Union Government. This number will serve as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in India. Any individual irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident in India and satisfies the verification process laid down by UIDAI can enroll for Aadhaar. Each individual needs to enroll only once which is free of cost. Each Aadhaar number will be unique to an individual and will remain valid for life. Aadhaar number will help you provide access to services like banking, mobile phone connections and other government and non-government services in due course. Aadhaar will be easily verifiable in an online, cost-effective, unique and robust enough way to eliminate the large number of duplicate and fake identities in government and private databases. A random number is generated, devoid of any classification based on caste, creed, religion and geography.
Why Aadhaar?
Aadhaar-based identification will have two unique features: universality, which is ensured because Aadhaar will over the time be recognized and accepted across the country and across all service providers.
Every resident’s entitlement to the number: The number will consequently form the basic, universal identity infrastructure over which Registrars and Agencies across the country can build their identity-based applications.
Aadhaar will ensure increased trust between public and private agencies and residents. Once residents enroll for Aadhaar, service providers will no longer face the problem of performing repeated Know Your Customer (KYC) checks before providing services. They would no longer have to deny services to residents without identification documents. Residents would also be spared the trouble of repeatedly proving identity through documents each time they wish to access services such as obtaining a bank account, passport or driving license etc. Union government has instructed every citizen to have Aadhaar by 2014.
How to get an Aadhaar?
Aadhaar enrolment is free. You can go to any authorized Aadhaar enrollment center anywhere in India with your identity and address proof. UIDAI process accepts 18 Proof of Identity (POI) documents. Common proofs of identity and address are election photo ID card, ration card, passport and driving license. Photo ID cards like PAN card and government ID cards are permissible for Identity proof. Address proof documents also include water – electricity – telephone bills from the last 3 months. In case you do not have above common proofs, certificate of identity having photo issued by gazette officer / Tahsildar on letterhead is also accepted as POI. Certificate of address having photo issued by MP or MLA/gazette officer/Tahsildar on letterhead or by village panchayat head or its equivalent authority for rural areas) is accepted as valid PoA. Even if someone in a family does not have individual valid documents, the resident can still enroll if his / her name exists in family entitlement document. In this case the head of family in entitlement document needs to be enrolled first with valid POI and POA document. The head of the household can then introduce other members in the family while they are enrolling. UIDAI accepts 8 documents as Proof of Relations.
UIDAI has entrusted the task of enrollment of Aadhaar to a few private concerns on contract basis. One can go to a few centers that are set up for this task, fill up the application forms (either in English or state language) and present the necessary documents. The staff will take a picture, fingerprints and picture of cornea. They issue a receipt that one has to securely maintain till they receive Aadhaar Card at their doorstep. The natives of Karnataka can access: http://www.karnataka.gov.in/nammaaadhaar/Aadhaar-Lekha.html, to know the status of their Aadhaar Card.
Information on Aadhaar enrolment centers in Mangalore:
Dakshina Kannada DC N Prakash informed Newskarnataka that Aadhaar enrolment centres are opened at Mangalore City Corporation building at Lalbagh, MCC commercial complex at Mallikatte – Kadri,Samudaya Bhavan at Permannur – Tokkottu and Ullal, K S Rao Memorial building at Light House Hill Road, IB located next to Moodbidri village office, MCC office at Suratkal and old taluk panchayat building at Bantwal.
When asked the reason behind the confusion and chaos at Aadhaar enrolment centers, the DC said that a few LPG agencies were informing their customers that LPG cylinders will not be supplied unless they have Aadhaar cards The Dakshina Kannada (DK) district administration has not introduced that norm so far, the DC said adding the rule has however been introduced in Dharwad, Tumkur and Mysore districts of Karnataka as Aadhaar enrolment had begun in those districts on an experimental basis in the year 2010 itself. Aadhaar numbers are essential in those districts for availing banking, LPG and other services. The people in DK district will have enough time till 2014, and there is no need to rush to the enrolment centres all at a time, said DC Prakash.
When this correspondent visited one of the Aadhaar enrolment centers in city, he found that the centre lacked basic amenities like even seating arrangements for senior citizens. The long queues are the order of the day. When a citizen who was waiting for his turn, was questioned, he said that it takes nearly 45 minutes to get through the process of a single application form. The poor training of staff is also a factor in this regard. There is no drinking water facility for the sick and elderly who are waiting in the queue, a citizen at the Aadhaar enrolment center.
When this reporter queried the in-charge of the centre, he said that the staff are trained and they do not intentionally delay the task of processing any application. The delay is caused by helping the applicant to give proper documents. The higher authorities have not responded to the need for basic amenities, he complained and added the Centre staff have always been helpful to the applicants.
Confusion over Aadhaar and Smart Card:
Presently, there is confusion in some rural areas over Aadhaar and Smart Cards as some groups were gathering information similar to the one required to be entitled for an Aadhaar Card. But, the authorities have clarified that the Aadhaar card enrolment is done at some authorized centres and that the information collected at some other places were for N.P.R or Smart cards.
A few groups of enumerators are on a survey in villages in order to gather information in pattern of Aadhaar Card, based on the data base of population census of 2011, to issue National Population Registry (NPR) numbers. As there is no proper information regarding the N.P.R. the villagers naturally get confused and some even come to the conclusion that it was suffice to have just one of the cards.
Aadhaar Card will be mandatory to avail government facilities in the near future and will reduce the chances of misuse of government schemes while also helping maintain database of population. However, considering the hiccups which this ambitious project is experiencing, there remains a question as to whether and how Aadhaar Card would be actually beneficial in the days to come.
NRIs can get Aadhaar Cards?
When this reporter queried DC N Prakash about how NRIs can get Aadhaar Cards? He said that in the absence of no express orders issued by the union government in this regard, as there is sufficient time up till 2014, NRIs can complete the procedures whenever they come on vacation to India.