Indian data in danger

What do you do if a substantial proportion of your population lack birth certificates, let alone passports? Since 2009, India has used AADHAAR, a massive biometric database – in fact, it’s the largest in the world. But it’s not been without its problems. Not least thanks to the fact that the system is not exactly fool-proof, with some Indians registering their dogs’ faces, but on a far more concerning level, India has no data protection laws yet, although the Supreme Court is doing all it can to protect citizens’ data. However, following the gripping Indian general election, the largest-ever election in the world to date and one in which holographic appearances were widely used, the future of the scheme is under threat. Although the scheme itself is a fascinating topic for Computer Scientists, Statisticians and Mathematicians, the role of the scheme and the Indian political scene as a whole is a brilliant case study for future Politics and Social Science students.