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This country will give all its senior citizens a biometrics-based smart health card

This could have multiple ramifications.

Manish Singh

on February 1, 2017

This country will give all its senior citizens a biometrics-based smart health card

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Str/Epa/REX/Shutterstock (8134193b) Indian Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Addresses a Press Conference on the Current Demonetisation Move of the Government in New Delhi India 12 November 2016 Jaitley Has Urged People not to Rush to the Banks to Exchange Old Currency Notes and Act in a Patient Manner He Added That It Will Take Some Time For Banking Operations to Come to Normalisation People Have Been Flocking Banks and Atms to Get New Currency Notes and Many People Are Facing Problems Due to Over Rush in a Major Decision Indian Prime Minister in an Address to the Nation Has Stated That Currency Notes with Denomination Values of Inr 500 (about 7 5 Us Dollars) and Inr 1000 (about 15 Us Dollars) Respectively Will Be Invalid and Will Be Discontinued From Midnight of 08 November 2016 Indian Government Also Introduced the New Notes of Inr 500 (about 7 5 Us Dollars) and Inr 2000 (about 30 Us Dollars) and Citizens Would Be Allowed to Exchange Their Old Currency Notes Through the Banks and Post Offices Till 30 December 2016 This is Being Considered As a Major Step Towards Curbing the Problem of Black Money India New Delhi India Demonetisation - Nov 2016 Indian Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley addresses a press conference on the current demonetisation move of the government in New Delhi, India, 12 November 2016. Jaitley has urged people not to rush to the banks to exchange old currency notes and act in a patient manner. He added that it will take some time for banking operations to come to normalisation. People have been flocking banks and ATMs to get new currency notes and many people are facing problems due to over rush. In a major decision, Indian Prime Minister, in an address to the nation has stated that currency notes with denomination values of INR 500 (about 7.5 US dollars) and INR 1000 (about 15 US dollars) respectively will be invalid and will be discontinued from midnight of 08 November 2016. Indian government also introduced the new note... Credit: Str/Epa/REX/Shutterstock

India’s audacious push to bring and make use of Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometrics database, was one of the highlights at the annual financial budget unveiled in the country today.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that senior citizens in the country will soon get Aadhaar-based smart cards. These cards would feature their health and other information, Jaitley added. The government will first run a pilot project in 15 districts during the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Aadhaar is a biometrics-backed (fingerprint, iris, or facial features) national ID system that the government is positioning as a solution to bring its 1.3 billion people to the digital age. Over one billion people and 99% of the country's adult population are already enrolled in the system.

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One of the biggest applications of Aadhaar so far has been seen in Unified Payment Interface, an effort by the government to make digital exchange of money as simple as sending a text message.

And it’s working. The government as well as different financial institutions are now allowing people to avail financial services using their phone number, doing away with the need of going to banks and wasting tons of paper. On the sidelines,

Jaitley also announced that government's recently launched BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) app will be able to send money using the 12-digit Aadhaar number at places where Aadhaar-based payment is supported.

However, the government’s aggressive push in making Aadhaar ubiquitous has also ignited debates at times. Some have expressed their concerns and puzzlement over inclusion of Aadhaar in everything, asking if it is necessary and helpful. Jaitley's today announcement is getting the same treatment.