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India’s Aadhaar scheme and the promise of inclusive social protection

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  • Amiya Bhatia
  • Jacqueline Bhabha

Abstract

This paper examines the promise of inclusive social protection central to India’s Aadhaar scheme, a national initiative using biometric information to allocate unique identification numbers to Indian residents. Aadhaar has reached over one billion people and promises to expand access to basic identification, improve enrolment in social protection and financial inclusion schemes, curb leakages, reduce corruption and address other gaps in India’s social protection architecture. However, the establishment of a national identification scheme does not of itself guarantee social protection. This paper assesses Aadhaar’s aims to achieve inclusive social protection through personal, civic, functional and entrepreneurial inclusion, and explores whether Aadhaar indeed fulfils these goals. Although it is too early conclusively to evaluate Aadhaar as a transformative contributor to social protection in India, there is much to be learned for transnational social protection from the scheme’s efforts to create a more inclusive system and to address the critical questions of privacy and state surveillance at stake.

Suggested Citation

  • Amiya Bhatia & Jacqueline Bhabha, 2017. "India’s Aadhaar scheme and the promise of inclusive social protection," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 64-79, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:oxdevs:v:45:y:2017:i:1:p:64-79
    DOI: 10.1080/13600818.2016.1263726
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stephen Devereux & J. Allister McGregor & Rachel Sabates‐Wheeler, 2011. "Introduction: Social Protection for Social Justice," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(6), pages 1-9, November.
    2. Deshingkar, Priya & Akter, Shaheen, 2009. "Migration and Human Development in India," MPRA Paper 19193, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Alan Gelb & Julia Clark, 2013. "Performance Lessons from India’s Universal Identification Program," Working Papers id:5512, eSocialSciences.
    4. Alan Gelb & Julia Clark, 2013. "Identification for Development: The Biometrics Revolution," Working Papers id:5248, eSocialSciences.
    5. Alan Gelb and Julia Clark, 2013. "Identification for Development:The Biometrics Revolution," Working Papers 315, Center for Global Development.
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    2. Chenlu Zhu & Xiaolin Dong & Liren Ding & Chen Lin, 2021. "Research on the Driving Factors for the Development of Inclusive Finance in Rural Commercial Banks: Market Competition or Government Intervention?," Businesses, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Saibal Ghosh, 2020. "Financial Inclusion in India: Does Distance Matter?," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 21(2), pages 216-238, September.
    4. Anugu Amarender Reddy & Anindita Sarkar & Yumiko Onishi, 2022. "Assessing the Outreach of Targeted Development Programmes—A Case Study from a South Indian Village," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-22, July.
    5. Abhijeet, K, 2021. "Decrypting Aadhaar," SocArXiv ftshv, Center for Open Science.
    6. Wadim STRIELKOWSKI & Inna GRYSHOVA & Svetlana KALYUGINA, 2017. "Modern Technologies in Public Administration Management: A Comparison of Estonia, India and United Kingdom," REVISTA ADMINISTRATIE SI MANAGEMENT PUBLIC, Faculty of Administration and Public Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 2017(28), pages 174-185, June.

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