London: Britain may soon get a ‘Brit Card’ on the lines of India’s Aadhaar. UK prime minister Keir Starmer had praised the Aadhaar digital biometric ID system as a “massive success” during his recent trip to Mumbai.
He is now considering it as a model for the UK’s planned digital identity programme – the “Brit Card.” While Aadhaar uses biometric data to provide welfare and services, the UK’s scheme will have a different focus. It will seek to prevent illegal migrants from getting jobs in the UK.
Starmer had met Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and a leading figure in conceptualising Aadhaar, during his visit to discuss the rapid rollout and impact of India’s extensive digital ID programme.
Nearly 1.4 billion Indians are now covered under the Aadhaar net that was launched 15 years ago. While it has streamlined access to banking, welfare, and other services, critics have pointed to data protection issues. Despite this, the system is credited with saving the Indian economy billions in administrative costs and corruption, the report also said, The Guardian has reported.
A UK government spokesperson by the newspaper as saying that while the “Brits Card” will draw lessons from India’s experience, it will have a different design and will not include biometric data.
Inclusivity and data protection have been cited as core priorities, with the ID initially mandatory only for employment to combat illegal working – a key government focus.
“I don’t know how many times the rest of you have had to look in the bottom drawer for three bills when you want to get your kids into school or apply for this or apply for that-it drives me to frustration,” The Guardian quoted Starmer as saying, in defence of a digital ID.
Polling, however, shows public support for digital IDs has dropped significantly since the announcement, with critics raising fears about privacy, data breaches, and government overreach.
“I do think that we could gain a significant advantage. We’re going to a country, India, where they’ve already done ID and made a massive success of it,” Starmer had insisted before his visit to India.
He also linked the new ID plan to immigration enforcement, stressing the importance of tackling illegal working as part of migration agreements with countries such as France. Right-wing parties have spotlighted gig economy platforms where undocumented workers allegedly use false identities.
