GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation
Source: IE
Direction: The article highlights the new family ID for residents of J&K, its criticism, and other states with a similar mechanism.
Context: J&K Lt Governor’s announcement to introduce a family Pehchan Patra (identity card) for residents of the UT has been criticised by the opposition parties in Kashmir as a surveillance tool.
The proposed family Pehchan Patra:
- It will be an identity card with a unique 8-digit alphanumeric number, which will contain details of all members of the family, including their names, ages, qualifications, employment status, etc.
- The card will be linked with the Aadhaar and bank account number of the head of the family.
- While Aadhaar contains information about an individual, the family ID card will collate a database about families, with the consent of the family.
- No consent is likely to attract practical difficulties because benefits such as subsidised rations will be linked with the family ID card.
The purpose of introducing the identity card:
- To create an authentic, verified and reliable database of families in J&K that will help in policy planning.
- To facilitate direct transfer of benefits to their bank accounts.
- To ensure speedy and transparent doorstep delivery of welfare schemes to eligible beneficiaries.
- To identify and weed out duplicate ration cards and Aadhaar.
Issues with the proposed family ID:
- It symbolises the widening trust deficit especially post 2019 when the erstwhile state of J&K was bifurcated into two UTs.
- Unproductive use of resources.
- The protection of personal data is a major challenge.
Government’s response to this criticism:
- An information security policy and an appropriate cyber security framework are under planning.
- Minimum human interference will result in better utilisation of resources.
- Better delivery of services will strengthen trust between the government and the people.
Similar databases in other states:
- Haryana was the first state to introduce the concept of the family Pehchan Patra, and Punjab introduced it last year.
- UP Parivar Kalyan Card, Rajasthan’s Jan Aadhaar and MP’s Samagra ID are other examples.
Insta Links:
This is what has changed in Jammu and Kashmir
Mains Links:
Q. Trace the changed security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and discuss the road ahead post the recent landmark political changes. (250 words)
