Indian authorities are collecting biometric data , comprising fingerprints , retinal and facial scans , of the country 's 1.3 billion citizens for the ambitious Aadhaar programme . Part of prime minister PM Modi 's digital vision for the country , it enables citizens to access everything from food rations to mobile SIM cards using their universal , digital database . Although the system’s core fingerprint, iris and face database appears to have remained secure, at least 210 government websites have leaked other personal data — such as name, birth date, address, parents’ names, bank account number and Aadhaar number — for millions of Indians. While the system , which it is claimed has saved $ 9.4bn , has been studied by the UK and Russia , critics have argued Aadhaar gives the Indian government unprecedented insight into individuals ' privacy , and a ruling from India ’s Supreme Court on the issue is expected in the spring .
Indian authorities are collecting biometric data , comprising fingerprints , retinal and facial scans , of the country 's 1.3 billion citizens for the ambitious Aadhaar programme . Part of prime minister PM Modi 's digital vision for the country , it enables citizens to access everything from food rations to mobile SIM cards using their universal , digital database . While the system , which it is claimed has saved $ 9.4bn , has been studied by the UK and Russia , critics have argued Aadhaar gives the Indian government unprecedented insight into individuals ' privacy , and a ruling from India ’s Supreme Court on the issue is expected in the spring .