Only 30 per cent of Indian households boast of having at least one member with a ‘portable identity’ like a Passport or a Driving License. Such an identity, points out the economist from New York, is necessary for access to institutions and credit, which is why the biometric based Unique Identification (UID) project is going to be a game-changer. An alumnus of IIT, Madras,, from where he obtained a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering, Arun Sundararajan secured a degree in Management and a Ph.D. from Rochester. A Professor of Information, Operations and Management Sciences at Stern School of Business, New York University, he is an economist who researches how technology transforms business and society. He was on a short visit to India this month when he spoke to Outlook on the Unique Identity (UID) project.
Any particular reason why you chose to study ‘Adhaar’ or the UID platform ?