The bad news is that this is by no means the last time that people will be asked to submit identity proof and other data to government agencies. The Securities and Exchange Board of India is set to revive biometrics based Unique Identification Numbers (known as MAPIN earlier), followed by the biometric based National Identification Number that will be akin to the US Social Security number.

It is about time the Union government sets up a high powered, technically qualified Group to look at making e-governance more meaningful by networking between various government departments and across Ministries to optimise information gathering process. This must aim to avoid repeated submission of personal information, which not only harasses people, but also is liable to serious breach of security and privacy.