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India Stack refers to the project of creating a unified software platform to bring India's population into the digital age. Its website describes its mission as follows: "India Stack is a set of open APIs that allows governments, businesses, startups and developers to utilize a unique digital Infrastructure to solve India’s hard problems towards presence-less, paperless, and cashless service delivery"[1] Of the four "distinct technology layers" mentioned on the same page, the first, the "Presenceless Layer" is the most controversial as it involves storing biometric data such as fingerprints for every citizen. Since such markers are widely being adopted to enable cashless payment, the issue arises of fraudulent use of biometrics.[2] The other layers are the Paperless Layer, which enables personal records to be associated with one's online identity; the Cashless Layer, a single interface to all national banks and online wallets; and the Consent Layer, which aims to maintain security and control of personal data.
India Stack is the largest open API in the world. Since its deployment, India has been organizing hackathons to develop applications for the APIs.[3]
India Stack is being implemented in stages, starting with the introduction in 2009 of the Aadhaar "Universal ID" numbers. These are linked to biometrics (fingerprints) and as time goes by, authentication by Aadhaar is required for access to more and more services and subsidies. This raises issues of privacy and surveillance, especially as much of the users' interface is via their mobile phones.[4][5]
The next stages were the introduction of eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer), which enables paperless and rapid verification of address, identity etc., followed by eSign, whereby users attach a legally valid electronic signature to a document, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) enabling cashless payments, and most recently, DigiLocker, a platform for issuance and verification of documents and certificates.
What raised the profile of Aadhaar and India Stack worldwide was the 2016 Indian banknote demonetisation whereby ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes were phased out, officially to eliminate forgeries and money-laundering, but with the secondary objective of hastening the transition to a cashless economy.
Observers have argued that India Stack could fast-track the move to digital payment systems across the developed world and mark the end of cash.[6] However, various challenges related to user rights have been mounted: in August 2017, the Supreme Court of India unanimously ruled in favour of a petition applying for privacy to be declared a fundamental right[7] and other court matters followed.[8]
Reputed consultancy firm Ernst & Young has said that India Stack has become the global benchmark for most countries.[9]
- ^ "India Stack". Indiastack.org. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
- ^ "India Utilizing Citizens' Biometrics". Pymnts.com. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ John Mauldin (2017-03-29). "Raoul Pal, Paying Attention | Outside the Box Investment Newsletter". Mauldin Economics. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
- ^ Ramesh, Randeep (16 September 2009). "1.2bn population of India to be given biometric ID cards". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ "Is India's central database with biometric details of its billion citizens a privacy nightmare?". Mashable.com. 14 February 2017. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
- ^ "India Is Likely To Become The First Digital, Cashless Society". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
- ^ "Right to Privacy a Fundamental Right, Says Supreme Court in Unanimous Verdict". The Wire. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ^ "Aadhaar Isn't Just About Privacy. There Are 30 Challenges the Govt Is Facing in Supreme Court". 18 January 2018.
- ^ ey.com/en_in/india-at-100/digitalizing-india-a-force-to-reckon-with