MAINS 2014
GS2
12.5 marks
Two parallel schemes of the Government, the Aadhaar Card and NPR, one voluntary and the other compulsory, have led to national debates and litigations. On merits, discuss whether both schemes need run concurrently. Analyse their potential to achieve developmental benefits and equitable growth.
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss whether Aadhaar and NPR should run together and analyse their developmental potential.
Discuss + AnalyseExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view. Break it into parts, show how the parts connect, and judge which matter most.
Demand-wise check
- 1Difference: Aadhaar is a unique biometric ID for residents (UIDAI, Aadhaar Act 2016); NPR is a register of usual residents under the Citizenship Act 1955 and Rules 2003, compulsory, a step towards NRIC≈35 words
- 2Overlap: duplicate biometric collection, cost, data security; turf conflict earlier between UIDAI and Registrar General≈35 words
- 3Case for both: different purposes (service delivery vs identity/citizenship and security)≈35 words
- 4Development potential: DBT, financial inclusion (JAM), PDS leakages; equity concerns: exclusion errors, privacy, authentication failures≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Explain bothOverlap and conflictMerits of convergence vs separationDevelopmental and equity impactConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Mixing up Aadhaar (resident) with citizenship
- No privacy judgments
Draw this
- Comparison table: Aadhaar vs NPR (legal base, purpose, mandatory/voluntary, data)
Value addition
- CaseJustice K.S. Puttaswamy v Union of India: privacy a fundamental right (2017); Aadhaar upheld but Section 57 use by private bodies struck down (2018).Supreme Court, 2017 and 2018
- ExampleNPR data was first collected in 2010 along with the house-listing phase of Census 2011.Registrar General of India
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 38 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aditya Srivastava · AIR 1 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 15 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 11 ↗Same syllabus reference
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