Not Just the UID

I have seen people getting excited when they get a good
quality database of fifty CEOs or hundred school principals, or 2,000 hospitals.
One can sell them credit cards, houses, cars, software, and every other thing
possible. Just imagine what you can get with a very accurate database of 1.1 bn
people with their names, addresses, religion, sex, and so on. The Unique ID
project could transform the fortunes of the Indian ICT industry. I believe that
imagination will be the only limitation.

If and when the UID project is successfully completed, a
lot of dreams could actually begin to become a reality. Slogans and
terminologies that have never really been very successful, but we have been
hearing for yearsbridging the divide between the haves and have nots; bridging
the digital divide; sustainable growth; justice for all; education for all; food
for all; right to informationcould possibly become a reality.

UID is great, but it will have to be backed with several
other initiatives. The whole range of e-governance projects that will possibly
connect the citizen to the world (including businesses, education, banking,
health-care), thanks to the UID number, will need to be off the ground as
quickly as possible. As of now there are twenty-seven large scale mission mode
e-gov projects in the pipeline, only four in operation. These projects have
faced various types of hurdles, includingtechnology confusion, project driver
scarcity, failure of PPP models, too much government control, procurement
systems, to name a few.

Over $5 bn will be spent on these projects, according to experts. But these
projects will have to take off quickly, otherwise the UID that Nilekani is
creating will just be an un-utilized database. And, we all know how quickly
databases become old and outdated.

So far the Indian IT industry (which was primarily exports based) and IT
deployment in the domestic market have run on auto mode without much government
intervention, either positive or negative. But now is the time for the
government to really step. It is said that per capita IT investment in India is
about $1, compared to $150 in the UK, for instance. The Government of India has
to ensure that a conducive environment is created for higher and faster IT
deployment that touches the lives of all the people who will be on the UID
database.

One must, however, not forget that UID is just an IT tool that will deliver
on the slogans and promises of the countrys leaders and governments.
Ultimately, we will require enough food to be produced for having food for all;
we will need a lot more doctors and hospitals; and we will need a lot more
electricity or other alternate forms of energy to power computers, networks, and
other consumer devices. The government will have to focus big time on building
the countrys infrastructure, if UID has to be leveraged.

Ibrahim Ahmad

ibrahima@cybermedia.co.in