When the Aadhaar card was introduced in 2009, it was hailed as a revolutionary step towards inclusive governance. For the first time in independent India, there was a promise of a universal, biometric-based identification system that would bring every citizen—especially the poor and undocumented—into the fold of formal recognition. The issuance of the first Aadhaar card to Ranjna Sadashiv Sonwane of Nandurbar, Maharashtra, in September 2010 was a symbolic moment. Until then, identity documents like passports, ration cards, or government IDs were privileges enjoyed by the few. Aadhaar promised a levelling effect. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) took on the mammoth task of collecting........

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