India's biometric identification system is facing opposition in the country's highest court- with 20 petitions claiming that the government cannot make it mandatory for citizens to register themselves.
The government claims having all citizens makes the process of distribution of services more transparent however critics have accused the government of carrying out mass surveillance and violating the right to privacy of all Indian nationals.
The Indian government's biometric identification system- the aadhar card- records a person's biometric and demographic details - and is the world's largest biometric database
It involves people getting their irises scanned, their fingerprints registered and also sees their addresses, phone numbers and bank details on record with the government.
Neha Poonia reports from New Delhi.
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1.1 billion people in India are now registered under the government's Aadhar scheme.
Aadhar- which means foundation- is a 12 digit unique identification number- that records a citizen's biometric details.
Started 7 years ago- according to the government 90% of India's population is now registered.
What began as as a voluntary program has now been made compulsory - and the government says it gives citizens a valid proof of identity as well as helping the distribution of welfare services meant for the poor.
The Aadhar card is required to receive most government benefits like food grains for the poor, cooking gas, pension and scholarships.
You also need it to file taxes, open a bank account and even get a mobile phone connection.
VO:
Many like Usha Ramanathan claim that the Aadhar is a method of financial surveillance by the government.
Bite: Usha Ramanathan, Anti-Aadhar campaigner
This project has elements of deliberate of privacy, profiling, surveillance and tracking. PATCH
What they are saying is that you have to get on this database and that number we give you, you have to use wherever you have any kind of presence. It is not like you can use that number whenever it suits you. You have to report to that database repeatedly.
VO:
In the last year there have also been several instances of the government database being breached- with Aadhar details of millions of Indians being leaked online.
Before Narendra Modi came to power, he himself had raised questions about the security of such a large government database.
However, today the Prime Minister's party claims the system should be improved, not scrapped.
Bite: Nalin Kohli, BJP Spokesperson
There has been hacking of bank accounts, credit cards have been cloned, money has been siphoned off. That is not an argument. Protection is what is important, securing data is something we are looking at. Throwing the baby out of the bathtub? That is not the solution.
VO:
The question of the rights of citizens will be decided by India's Supreme Court. Petitioners claim they should have the right to refuse registering themselves. The government maintains that Aadhar for all is the only way forward to make India a tax-complaint society.
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