Answer: 

Introduction:

The Aadhaar Card and the National Population Register (NPR) are two significant government initiatives in India that have garnered attention at national levels, leading to numerous debates and litigations. Both these schemes have unique features and objectives, and while they have certain commonalities, they are fundamentally different in their purpose and implementation.

Body:

Aadhaar Card:

• Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identity number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
• It is voluntary in nature, and any Indian resident can apply for an Aadhaar card. Aadhaar’s primary purpose is to serve as a proof of identity and not of citizenship.
• It has been instrumental in promoting financial inclusion and ensuring that benefits of various government welfare schemes reach the intended beneficiaries.
• For instance, the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme uses Aadhaar to transfer subsidies directly to the people’s bank accounts, eliminating intermediaries and reducing corruption.

National Population Register (NPR):

• The NPR, on the other hand, is a register of usual residents of the country. It is mandatory and is prepared at the local, sub-district, district, state, and national level.
• The NPR collects both demographic and biometric data, and its primary purpose is to aid in the framing of policies and planning for the future.

Concurrent Implementation and Merits:

The concurrent implementation of both the Aadhaar Card and the NPR has raised several questions.

• While both collect biometric data, their purposes are different.
• The Aadhaar card is primarily used for identification, particularly for availing government services and subsidies, while the NPR is meant for policy planning and implementation.

From a development perspective, both schemes have the potential to significantly contribute to development benefits and equitable growth.

• The Aadhaar card has already shown its effectiveness in promoting financial inclusion and ensuring that government welfare reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• On the other hand, NPR, with its comprehensive data, can help in better policy planning and implementation, leading to more targeted and effective development schemes.

However, there are legitimate concerns regarding data privacy and the possibility of misuse of information, particularly in the absence of a robust data protection law. These concerns need to be addressed to ensure the effectiveness and acceptability of these schemes.

Conclusion:

While there are merits in both the Aadhaar and NPR schemes, their concurrent implementation needs to be carefully assessed considering the overlap in data collection, the cost involved, and concerns related to data privacy. A more pragmatic approach could be to integrate the data collected through these schemes, ensuring data protection, and use it for effective policy planning and targeted delivery of services.