Needless K-card

#Needless #K_Card

The Kerala government’s proposal to introduce a permanent nativity card appears to be a classic case of administrative overreach with little practical value. At a time when Aadhaar already functions as a universally accepted, legally valid identity and residence document across India, creating a parallel State-level card is redundant.

 If the existing nativity certificate is “not legally binding,” the logical solution would be to strengthen its legal framework, not to replace it with an entirely new card. Introducing another identity document neither addresses citizenship concerns effectively nor adds any substantive protection to citizens. Instead, it risks confusing people and multiplying documentation without solving the core problem.

More troubling is the financial imprudence of the move. Even at a modest estimated cost of ₹20 per card, the total expenditure would cross ₹50 crore, an unjustifiable burden on the public exchequer when Kerala is facing serious fiscal stress. This money could be far better spent on healthcare, education, or social security for the  people.

The Kerala-specific nativity card has no utility outside the State, while a large section of Keralites today are migrants, professionals, and global citizens who rely on nationally and internationally recognised documents like Aadhaar and passports. In this context, the nativity card looks less like a welfare measure and more like a needless exercise driven by political optics, especially when the government is nearing the end of its term. 

Kerala would do well to look before it leaps into yet another costly and futile identity project.

-K A Solaman