11. Building on Digital ID for Inclusive Services: Lessons from India
- Author:
- Alan Gelb and Anit Mukherjee
- Publication Date:
- 09-2019
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Center for Global Development (CGD)
- Abstract:
- India has emerged as a leader in building on its biometric digital ID (Aadhaar) to reform service and program delivery. It moved quickly to consolidate the rollout of Aadhaar, and then to embed the unique Aadhaar number into program databases. A range of applications, including digital signature and payments, was then constructed on top of the Aadhaar foundation (the India Stack). Together with partners, the Center for Global Development is analyzing the effects of Aadhaar-based reforms. India offers lessons for many other countries as their focus evolves from rolling out an ID system towards using it to improve the efficiency and inclusivity of service delivery. Some programs using Aadhaar are federally administered but others are implemented at state level. It is already clear that some states and sectors are reforming better than others, generally because of better design of the digital reforms or stronger capacity to implement them. The three programs we discuss below high- light achievements as well as challenges that need to be overcome for greater efficiency and inclusion.
- Topic:
- Development, Governance, Identities, and Digitalization
- Political Geography:
- India and Asia