Fractured/Earth

Agencies contracted to enroll people into the Aadhaar fold have joined hands to protest heavy penalties levied on them by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) that was steered by tech billionaire Nandan Nilekani till three months ago. The enrollment imbroglio is the latest in a series of shocks for the project in recent weeks, with RBI suspending a plan to mandate Aadhaar-based biometric ATMs and the finance ministry stating that direct benefits transfer (DBT) can work even without Aadhaar. The development is significant amidst uncertainty at the UIDAI headquarters and field offices about the Aadhaar project’s future under the new government.

even as uncertainity over the aadhaar project continues, fresh trouble for the identity project.