After the recent bomb blasts in Jaipur, I was wondering if we could use technology to successfully reduce the incidents of mass terror.
In the last 20 years electronic and communication devices progressively became cheaper and more powerful. A normal PC today is more powerful than a main frame computer in the previous generation. Also in India wireless telecom sector grew in leaps and bounds virtually connecting the entire nation.
Now a days a Laptop which has finger print based scanning system does not cost much. Tera bytes of Hard disks can be purchased at ridiculously cheap prices.
So......
==> There are 604 districts in India. Set up regional servers and national servers to store nation wide database of citizen info.
==> we need cheap mass produced finger print scanning device(say less than Rs.1000) which would be used in multiple ways. Also this device should have the ability to send the finger prints to nearest Govt server.
==>Starting with border districts issue National Ids for every single citizen of India. The NID should contain his National ID, State ID, District ID, Finger prints, Iris (Future use), DNA(Future use), Photograph, Parents info, Spouse info etc.
==> Having National Id is mandatory. To file a tax return or to open a bank/demat/loan account or to avail a ration card or gas connection or voter id or driving license or joining a hospital or traveling in airline etc any where this number is mandatory.
==> The card contains magnetic strip in which his info along with finger print info would be stored. They can be cross verified against his actual finger print to ensure that he is valid person. So the question of impostor using some one else's ID does not arise.
==> All criminal records would be digitized and the computers containing criminal records are linked to a central server which stores these records.
==> Any person visiting a new city, if is checking into a hotel, then it is mandatory to scan his finger print. These machines do not cost much and hotels can claim the expense in their tax returns. This data would be transmitted to the server in that city which automatically verifies the back ground of the individual. If there is a criminal back ground or if he is providing wrong address/ info, it will alert the relevant police department.
==> If any unknown person wants to rent an apartment, then both the owner and the tenant need to approach the nearest police station to get the finger print of prospective tenant scanned to ensure that he is not wanted criminal. Not doing this would entail severe punishment to the owner of the house.
==> All employers starting from a small shop, need to get unknown new employee to scan his finger print. They need not go to any Govt departments. Simply a devise which could transmit the finger print to nearest server is all that is required.
==> This method of finger print scan is called "security clearance"
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Hey after writing all this stuff I have checked in wiki that such a project is supposed to have begun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multipurpose_National_Identity_Card_%28India%29
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But my problem is that there doesn't seem to be provision to store finger prints on the card itself and in the database :-(
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Feasibility question
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1) The first question is obviously is it economically feasible?
The answer is definitely yes. And do not forget that most of it is one time expense. Start with border districts (because that is where infiltration starts) and expand to cities (because that is where terror bombings are happening) then slowly expand to towns/ villages
2) Would it not be great hassle? would it not be used by govt employees to harass common man?
Once again if we can use technology then we can cut Govt employee from the loop. What if all new model cell phones contain mini finger print scanner that can transmit finger prints and receive red or green signal? If that is the case then people them selves would be able to authenticate each other rather than going to Govt departments.
Or how about having public finger print booths along with STD/ISD local call telephone booths(in the same booth)?? They would be accessible easily and cheaply. Each scan/confirmation could cost say 2 rupees? even common man can afford it. Right?
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Dear reader, If you can come up with some more ideas which are feasible and implementable then kindly post them in the comments. Please do not complain about "evil" politicians. We all know about them. Come on techie guys, we are much smarter than terrorist scum bags. Join hands and bounce some ideas (purely technology based solutions).
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3 comments:
Sir...your ideas are very nice and would prove very very productive if implemented....the only fear is the too much of government control over my data and proceudres.of carrying identity card everywhere etc...economic costs can also be issue...for low cost alternatives, may be we can start with....having video surveilance at all the busy crossings and busy markets...at all the enteries of any city and the train stations...have elaborate arrangements of scanning of the vehicles for any arms and ammunition..use sniffer dogs..have an electromagnetic fencing surrounding the city so that any vehicle coming to the city would be registered and later followed...inside the city, you can have many surveilance devices planted in sensitive areas...and all the sensitive persons under full time surveilance through their mobiles and anyway of communication they employ...The key would be I guess to use technology intensive Intelligence inside the city and sophisticated technology outside the city...at the borders of the city I mean...
Hi KK,
Thanks for the response. But I am looking at reasonably cheap electronic equipment. I am not sure how much Comprehensive electronic surveillance systems are going to cost. If they are cheap and can be procured in large numbers, then I would support it. But my impression is that they are relatively expensive.
Chanakya,
I really appreciate your thinking, especially to stop complaining abt our sick politicians.
As for using tech against terrorism, what you said is fine but what about the cost: cost of setting up country wide ultra secure high bandwidth network, personnel/manpower to be trained to handle all these, their training cost, their salaries, money to buy hardware/software etc etc.
It would have been nice if you could come up with the cost estimate, some figures may be, it would be an interesting article. Anything would be less for national security!!
I am sure if there is political will is there, it is implementable, the problem is that we have geriatrics whose attitude is never going change till they die, how will you get rid of them or convince them to implement it?? The politicians also have to frame new laws according to the new security set up which may cause inconvenience to many politicians because of their corrupt character and culture, and this gang includes many in BJP too,everyone cannot be expected to have financial integrity like Modi and now am not sure if you are a BJP die hard fan or not - in case if you get hurt or insulted.
If you are a person who believes in what you said about joining hands rather than complain then I guess I have found an interesting blog!!! how I wish other bloggers instead of typing raves and rants abt congress or others and blindly vouching for BJP and useless thugs in VHP and Bajrang dal(mind you, corruption is also hurting the country big time, 836 million people in India live under Rs. 20 per day and BJP too have many black sheep which means they too are fucking their mother land).
hope to see more about practical implementation.
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