Aadhaar Card Merits and Demerits

For those who don’t know, an Aadhaar car is just an identity card given to every citizen of India by the Government of India. The specialty of this particular Aadhaar card is the 12-digit number which is printed on this card, which is not such a random number, you know? This number is generated by a combination of a large amount of your biometric data (such as the fingerprints of your thumb and the image of your iris) and your basic data (such as where you live and things like that). And just so you know, the whole Aadhaar system is managed by a group called the Unique Identification Authority of India, or UIDAI for short. With so many benefits aadhar card has some drawbacks, let’s explore both of them:

Merits of Aadhaar Card

1. Streamlined Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT)

You see, before Aadhaar, the government used to drip funds through too many middlemen, which surely resulted in corruption and inefficiency. But now that Aadhaar is linked to bank accounts, it’s a direct hit, and of course, there is no more leaking! This is kinda a revolutionary change, especially for rural areas where people depend a lot on government subsidies for essentials like LPG and food grains.

2. One Card to Rule Them All

Are you tired of showing multiple documents to claim your identity all the time? Well, that issue was long gone a long time ago, you know, when Aadhaar was introduced and set up in India. Now, whenever you open a bank account, grab a mobile SIM, or even apply for a passport, your UID card is the only ID you need. The biometric approach of Aadhaar takes care of the process through its fingerprints and iris scans, so now, there is no danger of someone else claiming your identity.

3. Opening Financial Doors

Guess what: before Aadhaar, the majority of the population was devoid of a simple bank account, did you know that? Aadhaar has been kinda like a backbone of the entire Jan Dhan Yojana, where the Indian government encouraged people to open bank accounts with zero balance on a large scale. And to be honest, that worked out pretty great right here in India. Now, they are not only able to safeguard their money but also become eligible for loans, insurance, and a plethora of other financial products.

4. No More Duplicates

Yes, it is true that sometimes people used to get government benefits twice or even more, but that’s just not the case with Aadhaar. How? Well, the unique biometric system makes sure that people are distinct in the database as they are in reality thus making it possible for anyone to request and receive benefits. When the database is clear, all the players are able to play fairly, right?

5. Your Aadhaar Goes Everywhere

Moving cities? No need to panic. The Aadhaar card is your ID at every Indian place, giving you a lot more freedom while you are moving from place to place. So, no matter in which corner of the country you are, if you are required to show or submit your identification, just show your Aadhaar card and you’ll be good for the most part.

6. Digital India’s Backbone

Aadhaar is more than just a piece of plastic, you know, it’s the primary frame of the Digital India campaign that aims to transform India into a digitally connected might. It sure is pushing not just the government, but the general public to use technology for the betterment of everyone, and with Aadhaar, it sure is working just right.

Demerits of Aadhaar Card

1. Privacy? What Privacy?

You see, as India is far from putting in place its own strong data protection system, there is a great danger that the personal pieces of information collected could eventually be used by hackers or other secret agencies for their personal interests. As with your biometrics, once they are leaked, it is not like you can change them or do anything like that which you usually do with your passwords. And that’s kinda scary.

2. Misuse Potential

Where’s the guarantee that the Aadhaar data that some companies collect will not be used for yet again marketing things, you know, to advertise more and do those things? Not to mention that private companies that do the same then have complete control over all the users’ data which might result in them offering products based on that information. However, this could lead to more frustrating user experiences when private companies, for instance, make the wrong conclusions based on а person’s private information.

3. Exclusion Errors

If you have ever been in a situation where you just can’t seem to authenticate your ID, you will understand how frustrating it can be. However, in rural areas, as well as among people who suffer from worn-out fingerprint problems, Aadhaar often gives such people a hard time, making it impossible for them to get access to the services they might need like getting the monthly ration provided by the government. Other than that only example, there are a lot more that you can think of right now where these errors occur. Like sometimes the biometrics don’t work, sometimes you don’t get OTP on your mobile number connected with the Aadhaar, and when people want to change some details later on in life, they aren’t able to do that pretty easily. That’s how it is, at least for now.

4. Legal Loopholes

When there is no necessary legal system against the data that is stored by Aadhaar, it is like leaving your house with the keys still put inside the keyhole, so anyone can just open it up and take a visit. That’s how it feels. The point remains that the situation might lead to privacy issues in the future, and as you may have heard in the headlines recently, there were some rumors about huge data leaks of Aadhaar users in India. So yes, it sure is concerning.

Merits and Demerits of Aadhar Card