In these times, official processes must be seamless

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta

Reports across media stated that filmmaker Hansal Mehta recently said it has been frustrating to see his daughter, who has been trying to apply for an Aadhaar card for three weeks, caught up in a back ‘n' forth rigmarole. The National Award-winning filmmaker tagged the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) - a government body mandated to issue the biometric identifier Aadhaar - in an X post, alleging that the treatment meted out by authorities at the Aadhaar centre was tantamount to harassment.

Mehta's post roughly stated that it had taken his daughter several rounds of the office where more or less she had been told to bring a particular document, something to be signed, a stamp should be in the correct place or that somebody or the other seemed to be on leave and to come in again.

Hours later, the official account of the UIDAI responded to Mehta's post to provide help. The official account cited details and said that the authorities would help him after all details were received.

One would think that in this day and age, this is a thing of the past. Our processes must work smoother, with minimal trouble for citizens. People need to be told at one go what documentation and signatures are needed, what if any is the problem in obtaining official cards etc so that this back ‘n' forth becomes unnecessary. Besides the hassle, this also causes tremendous mental strain for the person.

While officials have their constraints, things must be ironed out to whatever degree possible to save heartache and headache. This may seem trivial but the anxiety and frustration build-up can have significant negative effects on the quality of life of citizens.