The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) project seems to have run into rough weather. The parliamentary standing committee on finance recently found the project to be “conceptualised with no clarity” and “directionless”. While the home ministry has voiced its concerns about the project, the planning commission has questioned the necessity of collecting iris images, which has resulted in a steep escalation of costs.

Though the aim of the project and its technicalities might be beyond doubt, the way it is implemented has raised several questions, which remain to be answered. With nobody seeming to know where the project is headed now, is it the time to wind it up and move on?