UIDAI has consistently said its goals are to help eliminate fake and duplicate beneficiaries from welfare schemes and to provide IDs to millions of the poor and migrants.While...
NPR’s purported goals are internal security and curbing illegal immigration.Nilekani Says UID Project on Track (Wall Street Journal)
First, this perspective on the political machinations:
Last week, a parliamentary committee led by a member of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party looked set to recommend, largely on these grounds, that lawmakers reject a bill that would give parliamentary backing to the project. Parliament’s approval of the bill, while not required at this stage, could enhance the project’s legitimacy.Then, a prediction:
But the program is unlikely to be dropped, especially as policy inaction, most recently the retail FDI debacle, raised questions about the government’s ability to get things done. The ID program is one of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s pet projects and Mr. Nilekani remained confident the project would go ahead. He said Aadhaar would “definitely” happen and that “the question is who will do the enrollment” after the current phase is completed.Both linked articles contain much more useful information and compliment each other well.
