The biggest change I observed between my last visit to India (Dec 2019) and now is how much an Aadhar card (national id card) is woven into everything.
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The Aadhar card provides significant benefits in terms of fraud prevention esp.. with government services.
It also helps Indian businesses know their customers, while KYC is a work-in-progress for most American ones.
The Aadhar card is one reason micro payments have taken off.
It also helps Indian businesses know their customers, while KYC is a work-in-progress for most American ones.
The Aadhar card is one reason micro payments have taken off.
But the Aadhar card success has been driven by the Indian bureaucrat's unique mixture of authoritarianism and laziness.
For example, in the course of one hour at a bank branch, I saw 3 customers unable to access their accounts.
Let's call this bank I was at as Bank B.
For example, in the course of one hour at a bank branch, I saw 3 customers unable to access their accounts.
Let's call this bank I was at as Bank B.
The 3 customers had opened their account 15+ years ago with Bank A.
Bank A got acquired by Bank B ten years ago and accounts got moved.
Bank B has mechanisms to get Aadhar card info and update their records for anyone who opened an account with them.
Bank A got acquired by Bank B ten years ago and accounts got moved.
Bank B has mechanisms to get Aadhar card info and update their records for anyone who opened an account with them.
But they forgot about the customers who came in via their acquisition ten years ago.
These customers were now shit out of luck.
The bank personnel simply shrugged their shoulders, and asked the poor customers to write the head office with proof of some kind.
These customers were now shit out of luck.
The bank personnel simply shrugged their shoulders, and asked the poor customers to write the head office with proof of some kind.
It's easy to implement a nationwide program if you don't care about the human effects of corner cases!
Another example: you need to get a Covid test to get on a plane.
To prevent fraud, the testing center has to record the Aadhar card & result of folks they test.
"No Aadhar card, no test," we were told.
So if you are a foreigner, you are SOL with no way to leave the country!
To prevent fraud, the testing center has to record the Aadhar card & result of folks they test.
"No Aadhar card, no test," we were told.
So if you are a foreigner, you are SOL with no way to leave the country!
Fortunately, this is still India. A combination of begging + escalation + extra fees did the trick and we got our Covid test using our passports.
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