Enumerating innumerable numbers is a difficult task indeed as the current attempts of those planning the new Indian census know. Think how much difficult it is to establish the identity of every person living in India. Undeterred, India is attempting to do what no other nation has done before i.e. to assign a 16-digit unique identification number (UID) to each individual living in India. India is coming up with the project named as ‘AADHAR’ whose broad plan is to cover the billion-plus people in the country by allotting each person, a unique number and creating a data base containing their photographs, biometric information and details such as name, sex, and age.
Biometric-parameters are personal physical/physiological measurements of an individual such as height, weight, and hair/eye color. These particular measurements can give a “correct” description about an individual, but the problem is that more than one individual can fit description based on the above parameters. Biometrics data should therefore be:
- highly unique to each individual
- easily obtainable
- stable - should not significantly change over time
- easily transmittable for storage/ retrieval and study
- possible to study easily without too much special training.
Biometric parameters are of two types: Physiological and Behavioral.
Why establish an identity?
In today’s troubled times it is imperative that a fool-proof identification process be put in place. It is too easy to hack computer databases, as many, whose identity has been stolen, know to their dismay. With computer tools easily available it is child’s play to morph photographs, and instances of such foul play are too many. Although identity-theft is assuming alarming dimensions, it is by no means a new crime. The simplest way was to forge a signature which, (although it may change over time) is a basic means of identification. Identity theft has now evolved to exploit Internet-based or even ATM transactions. Often when applying for a ration card, passport or other official papers the question, “How can we be absolutely certain about your identification?” has to be answered. This question is actually two questions in one. The first question is, “Who are you?” The second question is, “Are you really who you say you are?”
Why Biometrics?
It is a fool-proof way of proving one’s identity because many physical markers that are unique and specific to an individual remain constant throughout life. These cannot be duplicated as these are biologically part of a person and inseparable from body. Thus a biometric parameter is the inborn and intrinsic property of an individual. It cannot be stolen, copied, forged or shared. Biometric parameters can be used either independently for single-factor authentication or be used in combination with other authentication standards for multi-factor authentication.
Exploring Biometric Identification in India
The AADHAR project aims to collect all ten fingerprints from the individual, a photo and an iris (eye) scan as part of the biometric data collection. A single, universal identity number will help in eliminating fraud and duplicate identities. The Automated Finger Print Identification Systems (AFIS) for the purpose of identification of criminals has been introduced in some of the states in India. Police stations are creating, maintaining, and using this database to enable easy sharing of real time information across police stations and districts at the state-level as well as national-level, thereby resulting in improved investigation, crime prevention, better tracking of criminals. Fingerprints are just one of the many ways in which a criminal with a past record can be tracked. Fingerprinting is possibly the best known form of biometric identification.
Fingerprinting
The patterns of ridges on the fleshy part of our fingertips are unique: no two individuals — even identical twins — have fingerprints that are exactly alike. Fingerprint ridges are formed during the third to fourth month of foetal development. These patterns of ridges leave impression on whatever they touch. Injuries such as minor burns or cuts do not wipe out or change the pattern – the new skin grows displaying the same pattern. This is what makes fingerprints so useful in establishing identity even though cases where hardened criminals have used cosmetic surgery to eliminate all fingerprints are known.
The art and science of fingerprinting has a history closely associated with India! Many know that it was in year 1788 that German anatomist Johann Christoph recognized that fingerprints are unique to each individual. However, few know that it was in Hooghly (close to Kolkata), in year 1858 that Magistrate Sir William James Herschel initiated fingerprinting in legal matters. He used fingerprints on contracts, etc., and also documented pensioners’ fingerprints to prevent collection of money after the person’s death. The first ever Finger Print Bureau in the world was established at Writer’s Building at Kolkata in year 1897. It is widely believed that Khan Bahadur Azizul Haque and Rai Bahadur Chandra Bose did most of the work that became the basis of the system for fingerprint classification. Today, The Fingerprint Society (UK) awards the Aziz ul Haque and Chandra Bose prize for an innovative project in the area of forensic identification with high potential to make an impact in the field.
Face Recognition
Biometric facial recognition systems usually analyze the overall structure, shape and proportions of the face taking into account the distance between the eyes, nose, mouth, and jaw edges; upper outlines of the eye sockets, the sides of the mouth, the location of the nose and eyes, the area surrounding the cheekbones, etc. To prevent a photo from being used to defraud it, face-biometric scanners make the user smile, blink or nod their head.
Palm vein authentication
As the blood vessels crisscross under our skin these give rise to a definite and unique pattern that can be used to identify a person. Infrared beam is used to penetrate the hand and the veins in the person’s palm show up as black lines which can be matched to an earlier “recording.” Palm vein matches have a high level of authentication-accuracy because the vein patterns of the palm are complex in design. Palm-vein patterns cannot be “forged”. This method works equally well in situations where 1:1 or a 1: many matches are required. ATM kiosks sometimes use this.
Retina Scan
A retina scan involves the use of low intensity light to study the pattern formed by the capillary blood vessels located in the back of the eye. The best part is that this pattern remains unchanged throughout life. A retina scan cannot be faked as it is not (yet!) possible to forge a human retina. Also, the retina taken from a dead person decays too rapidly and cannot be used trick a retinal scan machine.
Iris scan
It is the pigmented, connective tissue that controls the pupil. It is formed in early life and once fully formed, it remains stable throughout life. The iris of the eye has pattern that is unique to an individual. An iris scan analyses over 200 points of the iris and compares it with a previously-recorded image template. Glasses, contact lenses, and even eye surgery does not change the iris pattern. Iris scans were proposed in year 1936, but it was not until the early 1990’s that algorithms for iris recognition were created. This system is highly accurate and reportedly there is no known case of a false acceptance for iris recognition. It is perfect for passports, border and prison access security control.
Biometric systems are replacing traditionally used systems of identification/authentication. These systems are expensive and only larger organizations/governments can afford and use them extensively. Sooner or later we will be asked to cooperate on identification/authentication drives as nations gear up to improve security. Luckily, IGNOU has been given this facility to enroll their learners for this unique identification and we at IGNOU Regional Centre, Srinagar will be starting the enrolment probably in the month of March 2012. So, learners should enroll themselves for this unique identification.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Peer Javeed Iqbal Naqshbandi
Quelle/Source: Greater Kashmir, 28.02.2012
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