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GLOBAL NEWS INDIA’S BIOMETRIC ID SYSTEM AND A CASHLESS SOCIETY CLIMATEGATE 2.0: NEW EMAILS REIGNITE SCANDAL monitor banking transactions, cellphone purchases and the movements of individuals and groups suspected of fomenting terrorism. This will be very easy to do, since the UID number will be entered any time an individual accesses services from government departments, driver's licence offices and hospitals as well as insurance, telecom and banking companies. At this point, the UID program is optional—but obviously not for long. The CEO of MindTree's IT Services, the company that was awarded the Indian government's contract for development and maintenance of the UID, explained in an interview with ComputerWeekly.com that the "ID scheme will support a cashless society". He said that all vendors will have a biometric reader, and citizens can pay for things—even a bag of rice—with a fingerprint scan. No doubt, even after such an admission by a man who was instrumental in the development of the program, many who read this article will still dismiss it as a “conspiracy theory”. (Sources: Activist Post, 12 January 2012, http://tinyurl.com/76zmml4; ComputerWeekly.com, 23 June 2011, http://tinyurl.com/7pogcry; Wikipedia) O: 29 September 2010 in the village of Shahada_ in Maharashtra State, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched its nationwide program to allocate a unique identification number (UID) to every single one of India's 1.2 billion residents. Each number is stored in a centralised database and linked to the basic demographic and biometric information—i.e., a photograph, 10 fingerprints and both iris scans—of each individual. Although the justification for the billion-person database is the increased ability to disperse social welfare benefits accurately, it will not be just the Indian government's social welfare programs that have access to and utilise the UID. Indeed, even before the program has been completed, major banks, state and local governments and other institutions are planning to use the UID for identification verification purposes and, of course, for payment and accessibility. Indian government officials have already stated that the database will be used by intelligence agencies to new batch of emails sent between scientists central to the assertion that humans are causing a global warming crisis was anonymously released to the public yesterday {22 November 2011], igniting another firestorm of controversy nearly two years to the day after similar emails ignited the Climategate scandal. Three themes are emerging from hese 5,000 emails: (1) prominent scientists central to the global warming debate are taking measures 0 conceal rather than disseminate underlying data and discussions; (2) hese scientists view global warming research as a political "cause" rather han a balanced scientific inquiry; and (3) many of these scientists rankly admit to each other that much of the science is weak and is dependent on the deliberate manipulation of facts and data. These emails add weight to the "Climategate 1.0" emails, revealing efforts to politicise the scientific debate and advance predetermined outcomes. As well as exposing misconduct and improper motives, the emails include frank admissions of the scientific shortcomings of global warming assertions. "Observations do not show rising temperatures throughout the tropical troposphere unless you accept one single study and approach and discount a wealth of others. This is just downright dangerous. We need to communicate the uncertainty and be honest," writes Peter Thorne of the UK Met Office. "I also think the science is being manipulated to put a political spin on it which for all our sakes might not be too clever in the long run," Thorne adds. More damaging emails will likely be uncovered as observers pour through the 5,000 emails. (Source: Forbes.com, 23 November 201, http://tinyurl.com/7Ituhox) in i Somervil/e 8 * NEXUS FEBRUARY - MARCH 2012 www.nexusmagazine.com