Umamah Bakharia | ub@radioislam.co.za
2 min read
26 January 2023 | 12:00 CAT
Rights groups fear that India’s issuing of digital IDs for Kashmir could lead to increased surveillance and data hacks as the Indian government undertakes a vast digitisation push.
Picture credit: The Geopolitics
Regional authorities say an eight-digit code will be assigned to each household, which would improve access to social welfare benefits such as subsidised food grains.
This according to the commissioner of Indian-administered Kashmir’s information technology department, Prerna Puri, means that families will not have to apply for benefits under various schemes, as eligibility decisions will be automated based on the data.
This comes as the Indian government plans to digitalise its platforms and records including health records, property titles, railway bookings and utility payments, as part of its Digital India programme which the administration claims will lead to better governance.
In 2019, the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi withdrew Kashmir’s autonomous status and split the former state into two federal territories, aimed at tightening its grip on the Muslim-majority region.
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