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Originally Posted by ashwin489 That's interesting. Did your government make it mandatory to surrender your biometric data? Did they give you a deadline to surrender your biometric data, before they threaten to cut off your phone line and bank account?
So, context is extremely important.
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Yes, once the passport with biometric data were introduced everybody that applied for a passport needs to surrender biometric data. So in the space of approx 5 years more or less everybody had done this. In a small country like the Netherlands everybody has a passport as it is also used as an I.D. for all sorts of reasons. (e.g. picking up a parcel at the postoffice).
The Dutch are very creative of enforcing rules, without setting hard deadlines. The process will sort it by itself.
If you would find yourself in the USA you can't do anything without a Social Security Number. You can't enter into contracts with the utilities companies, you cant open a bank account etc. So yes, there are many examples where you need to comply to certain rules and regulations, sometimes 'surrender'biometric data in order to get services or access to services that we would typically take for granted.
You enter the USA, they will take your fingerprints and it's in a huge database with a whole lot more data you had to surrender as you applied for a Visa. Without providing fingerprints you simple wont be allowed to enter the country. And the USA is not the only one. These days they can even demand your log in details to your social media.
I would be the first to admit that the situation in India cant be compared to the USA, Sweden or the Netherlands. Especially how these sort of mechanisms are introduced into society. From what I have seen and experienced it tends to be a bit abrupt with little notice. (no offense meant)
But there are a lot of parallels in it too. India is a fantastic county in many respects. But it also struggles in many areas on catching up with the more western orientated countries. There are plenty of examples where developments in India go faster compared to the same development in western countries.
E.g. India went from virtually no telecommunication infrastructure to a pretty good mobile infrastructure in the space of less then a few decades. It took the west probably more than a century and a huge fixed infrastructure and many more changes in technology to get where they are now. So India is truly leapfrogging here. With it comes all sort of hurdles and problems of course.
Yes, few would deny India has some real challenges, be it socio-economics or otherwise. But I dont think concentrating on solving only those is the correct way forward either. A lot of these developments need or are taken place in parallel. Sometimes not always in a logical order or so it appears. As the saying goes, you cant make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, unfortunately.
Having a lot of personal data accessible and available to the local and nationwide governemental bodies etc has undoubtely pro's and con's.
(Data) Privacy is a huge (political) topic in all/most (western) countries. So its always a bit of a balancing act what you allow and what you regulate.
Whether all of this, or Aadhar introduction specifically, will be beneficial for the individual citizen is a bit of personal belief.
I think there are two different areas of benefits:
- Personal: your interaction with local/nation wide governemental bodies is much more efficient, requiring less of your time
- Society at large; typically these sort of 'system' over time do have an impact on tax paying behaviour, black money etc. Although in the eye of the beholder, plenty of people think that's a good thing.
Let me give you a very concrete example:
My employer provides online details on my wages, pension payments, social securities, bonus etc to the Dutch taxauthorities
My mortgage firm provides online details on my mortgage, outstanding amount, dues paid, interest paid to the Dutch tax authorities
My bank provides online details to the Dutch tax authorities about all my accounts, amounts, interest etc. So do the various investment companies.
My council provides online details to the Dutch tax authorities about the various properties I have, value, local tax paid, etc.
So when I get my tax return form, the Dutch tax authorities have filled out just about everything for me already. I just check the data, amend it if needed, file it online and if I'm due a refund I will get that within a few months automatically into my bank account. Filing a tax return for the average Dutch person is a matter of minutes.
I find it very convenient. I like the fact that there is very little tax dodging possible by Dutch citizens. I know everybody in the Netherlands is treated equally in terms of rules and process. .
Some people hate all of the above. Now India might be a long way from this example.
By the way; let me tell you, so is the USA! Five years after leaving the USA I just go a note last week from the Kansas Tax office. They are sending me a rebate on my 2011 income tax of $123, by cheque! Not sure if a Dutch bank knows what a cheque is. My kids who are in their late twenties, early thirties have never owned a cheque book in their life! They only know online banking, debit- and credit cards.
Just to illustrate what these mechanism over time can do. Again, whether you approve or disapprove is very much a personal choice and or preference.
Jeroen