Philippines shows keen interest in Aadhaar

New Delhi: The Philippines has shown keen interest in India’s “Aadhaar” system in response to which New Delhi offered to share its knowledge on the matter with Manila, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. The matter came up for discussion when Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and PM Narendra Modi met for their separate bilateral meeting late on Wednesday evening. MEA’s secretary (East) Preeti Saran said the Philippines President was “keen on financial inclusion and fighting corruption” in his country, adding that the Philippines has “shown a great deal of interest in the Aadhaar system”. PM Modi told President Duterte that India would be “happy” to share its knowledge on the subject.

The issue has evoked much interest, considering the controversy that the Aadhaar unique identification system has drawn within India, with many questioning whether the data is absolutely secure.

The Asean countries also showed appreciation for India’s economic growth, its drive towards a cashless economy, the unique identity project, the steps against corruption, as well as the economic liberalisation measures that the Indian government has taken, the MEA said.