Overview

• On a visit to Mumbai, the prime minister reaffirmed that digital ID will be mandatory for right‑to‑work checks by 2029 and said there is a case for voluntary uses such as passports, school admissions, mortgages, benefits and banking.
• He met Nandan Nilekani, the architect of India’s Aadhaar system, and cited India and Estonia as examples of how digital ID can speed up access to services, including making payments and accessing one’s own money.
• No 10 stressed India’s model is not a blueprint for the UK, saying the British system would be run in the public sector with full consultation and a focus on inclusivity, and that biometric features used in India may not be adopted.
• Public backing has plunged, with polling showing support falling sharply and a petition surpassing roughly 2.8 million signatures, as Downing Street lines up outreach meetings with MPs and some Labour backbenchers voice unease.
• Opposition parties and rights groups have attacked the plan on liberty and privacy grounds, with criticism from Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage, the Liberal Democrats and Amnesty International.