Of smart cards and smarter operators

Recently some political parties in India raised concerns about the Electronic Voting Machines used in elections as being susceptible to manipulation and have demanded a return to ballot paper based voting in the forthcoming elections in the states of Maharashtra and Haryana. Incidentally this development has come on the heels of the decision of the Government to issue smart cards to every citizens with the aim of ensuring that the benefits of social programs reach the deserving people by weeding out corruption. The bill - a tidy sum of Rs 15 bn +, with its usual overruns.

So what’s the problem . None, except that it is doubtful whether the meant objectives will be achieved. For, its predecessors in a variety of avtars have failed. This calls for a bit of explanation. The first such approach was with issuing Voters Identity Cards around the beginning of this decade. The entire process was digitized capturing relevant data in digital form including a photograph. A person was required to identify oneself with such an identity card before being allowed to vote. This was intended to prevent bogus votes to ensure a fair election. But even after about a decade , the intended objective of preventing bogus voting is still not met. Anomalies exist in various forms . Disturbances on polling days in most parts of the country bear ample testimony to this as also the demands for repolling in some booths which are not uncommon in any election.

Then there is the Permanent Account Number card or the PAN card. This is a card for having an account number with Income Tax department. This number is supposed to be permanent and hence the name, though tax liability may not be permanent as incomes might vary. Quoting the PAN was made mandatory for most financial transactions. This included all transactions in stock markets. Property dealings, credit card purchases and cash transactions beyond a specified limit requires quoting of PAN . This it was expected would leave an audit trail of various transactions and thereby prevent tax avoidance and trace money laundering. Such was the stature of the PAN card that it soon began to be treated as adequate proof of identity. But sadly the much fancied PAN card has been meted perhaps the worst of humiliations. Rampant issue of multiple cards to a single individual or are they ghost cards really, have come to light making a mockery of catching tax evasion. Instances have surfaced where a single individual could pocket refunds several times using multiple accounts. That government decided to go for another identification number, to be issued by sources who deduct tax before making payment, to combat multiple refund claims of tax deducted at source TDS that is, indicates that this is indeed a menace.

Another smart card which has assumed equal importance as an identifier is the driving license. This too has been subjected to equally rampant dilution. The ease with which a driving license can be obtained anywhere in the country is shocking to note. Yet lives of millions people continue to depend on novices who masquerade as professional drivers.

Other Governmental efforts in the past included issuing Ration cards. The idea was that people with cards issued on the basis of economic criteria could get access to discounted foodgrain from Government controlled fair price shops. It turned out that there were not enough foodgrain with Government for distribution through these shops. So the criteria had to be made stiffer so that only the needy could get the benefit and Ration cards were made of two categories. One is Below Poverty Level, BPL category that is. The other of course is the Above Poverty Level category. The truth is that there has been no improvement in the availability of cheaper food grain to the poor.

Therefore if the past record is anything to go by, there is a likelihood of the present project meeting the same fate. We will end up with another card stuffed in our cardholder and a sum of Rs 15 bn + gone .

Coming to the broader point, what identity, whose identity are we seeking. What data are we contemplating to sift through computers. Its there for anyone who cares to see. The telltale signs of malnutrition , deprivation and neglect. What does identity mean to someone who's roof is the open sky and who is likely to die without any medical treatment. What does fingerprints and iris scans mean to those who's preoccupation is to worry about where the next meal would come from. Not that they do not have an identity. They have one and it can't be faked. It might read something like this
species : homosapiens
build : undernourished
hairs : disheveled
eyes : tearful
body : unclean
education : illiterate
occupation : seeking alms
age : still in growth phase

All of Government's plans for the country's socio economic upliftment though well meaning have failed to produce desired results due to the absolute inaction at the implementation level. Here there is a strong need for establishing accountability criteria, stringent monitoring system and strict adherence to targets. India has world class project implementation capability in the private sector. No reason why Government projects should fail to deliver desired results. If money is committed for a project then Government must also ensure that the end benefits are realised .

This time around at least the Government is willing to bet. It has drawn up talent from the private sector - Mr Nandan Nilekani of Infosys repute - and gave him ministerial status. We can only hope he and his team will be able to make his smart card outsmart the adversity. And of course we wish him all the luck.