Two parallel run schemes of the Government, viz. the Adhaar Card and NPR, one as voluntary and the other as compulsory, have led to debates at national levels and also litigations. On merits, discuss whether or not both schemes need run concurrently. Analyse the potential of the schemes to achieve developmental benefits and equitable growth.

Introduction

Aadhaar, issued by UIDAI, is a biometric identity number for residents, voluntary in conception; the National Population Register is a compulsory register of usual residents prepared under the Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003. Running both in parallel provoked national debate and litigation over duplication, privacy and purpose.

Should the two run concurrently?

• Against concurrence: the schemes duplicate enumeration effort and cost, collect overlapping demographic-biometric data twice, multiply error and exclusion risks, and their divergent legal bases—welfare targeting versus citizenship-linked registration—confuse residents.
• For separate existence: their purposes differ. Aadhaar authenticates identity for service delivery; NPR supports population accounting. Convergence by seeding Aadhaar numbers into NPR can eliminate duplication without merging mandates.
• The Supreme Court's Puttaswamy rulings (privacy, 2017; Aadhaar, 2018) upheld Aadhaar for subsidies under the Aadhaar Act, 2016 but struck down mandatory private-sector use—underscoring that data collection needs statutory purpose and proportionality.

Developmental potential

• Aadhaar anchors the JAM trinity: direct benefit transfer has weeded out ghost beneficiaries, with cumulative savings the government estimates at well over Rs 2.5 lakh crore.
• Portability gains—One Nation One Ration Card—serve migrants; eKYC has widened financial inclusion by easing Jan Dhan account opening.
• Risks persist: authentication failures excluding genuine beneficiaries, and surveillance concerns pending robust enforcement of the DPDP Act, 2023.

Conclusion

One authenticated identity backbone—purpose-limited by statute, seeded across registers and audited for exclusion errors—serves developmental benefits and equitable growth better than two overlapping enumerations.