Introduction

The introduction of biometric-based Aadhaar1 marked a revolutionary change in India’s digital governance. While Aadhaar provides a neutral digital identity2 to the individual, in the larger context, it has significant ramifications within the emerging socio-economic and political realities of the country. As such, the implications of Aadhaar for identity and governance emerge as an area of critical concern. As a marker of identity, Aadhaar seeks to eliminate the challenges of multiple identity cards that individuals possess, which quite often surface with problems of confusion and fabrication. On the other hand, the Aadhaar card is also expected to trigger a catalyst effect in the direction of an effective and error-free public service delivery system, and as such, change the face of digital governance in the country. On an obvious note, beyond the intended usage, Aadhaar has acquired new meaning and bore profound socio-political implications in recent decades. More particularly, the concerns over privacy and ‘biometric’ as well as ‘demographic’ data related security issues have caused apprehension and serious contention in recent years. In this context, this article seeks to examine the implication of Aadhaar as a marker of identity and governance in India and the emerging challenges and possibilities associated with it. more...