A paramilitary officer checks identity-cards amid curfew restrictions imposed in in Srinagar, Kashmir by authorities to control protests against Shopian district civilian killings. July 2017. Photo: Pacific Press Agency / IMAGO

What’s really behind Jammu and Kashmir’s new Family ID?

Kashmiris fear the scheme is another tool for surveillance and collective punishment by the Indian state.

Maknoon Wani is a former journalist who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Oxford Internet Institute (University of Oxford). His research looks at technology policy and digital governance, and he has extensively covered the Kashmir conflict, internet shutdowns and online hate speech in India. He tweets @maknoonwani.

Published on:

23 Jan 2023, 11:55 am

On 12 December, the Indian government-appointed Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha announced that his administration will establish a J & K Family ID database for all the families residing in India's Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. A unique alphanumeric code – pehchan patra (identity card) – will identify family members through the head of the family.

The family pehchan patra will use a unique eight-digit alphanumeric code to identify each family and its members. The card will have information on all the family members including their employment status, names, ages, qualifications and so on. Additionally, this card is supposed to be linked to Aadhaar – the world's largest biometric ID system – and the bank account number of the head of the family. The administration has said that the new database will help with better delivery of government schemes, including old-age pensions and scholarships.

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