The UK has praised India’s digital ID system – but it’s locked millions out of their legitimate benefits

By Charlotte Goodburn, Reader in Chinese Politics and Development, King's College London

The UK government is promoting its plan for a new digital identity scheme as a way to streamline services, prevent fraud and ensure that welfare benefits reach only those entitled to them. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has argued that digital ID is central to modernising the welfare state and tightening immigration controls.

On his recent trip to India, Starmer praised the country’s Aadhaar programme, the world’s largest digital ID system, as a “massive success”. The UK government has

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