When A Face Scan Decides Who Eats And Who Keeps Their Job

The verification process relies on Aadhaar eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer), a digital identity verification system that uses data linked to India's 12-digit biometric ID. For Anganwadi beneficiaries, this system connects to the ICDS database, which stores Aadhaar details for all registered individuals. When someone's Aadhaar isn't updated or their eKYC is incomplete, the system sends an OTP to the mobile number stored in ICDS records.

For such beneficiaries, verification is only considered successful when both facial recognition and OTP authentication are completed, a process that often becomes a major hurdle in areas with poor mobile connectivity.

Yeah, I think I remember that Black Mirror episode... wait, it's real?

Someone heard about IBM providing punch card machines for Auschwitz and thought that was insufficiently banal.