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punjab national bank 

institute of information technology 

Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow- 226 010 (U.P.) 

..... a premier institute of information technology in the area of banking, finance & insurance 

Vol. VIII No. 1 Special Edition October 2011-September 2012 

ISSN 2249 –1996 

Biometrics In Uid: A Framework To Identify 

And Handle Vulnerabilities 

e-track

e-track 

Editor 

Pramod Dikshit 

Editorial Team 

Rashi Katiyar 

Sanjay Srivastava 

Sweety Dube 

Printed by 

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Dharmendra Tewari 

Swastik Printing Press 

27, Mai Gi Ki Bagiya, 

Kapoorthala Crossing, 

Mahanagar, Lucknow 

Mobile : 9415419300 

punjab national bank 

institute of information technology 

Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, 

Lucknow--226 010 (U.P.) 

T : +91 522 2721442, 2721174 

F : +91 522 2721201, 2721441 

E-mail : bankingtech@pnbiit.ac.in 

URL : www.pnbiit.ac.in 

Thought 

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be 

gentle with yourself. You are a child 

of the universe, no less than the 

trees or the stars; you have a right to 

be here. 

-Disiderata 

Dear Readers, 

FROM THE EDITOR 

When implemented and adopted 

efficiently, the Unique Identification (UID) 

project possesses the power to eliminate financial 

exclusion, enhance accessibility, and uplift living 

standards for the majority of poor. This can be 

achieved when the UID is effectively associated 

with pro poor welfare projects like the NREGS. 

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) aims to issue a 

unique identification number to all Indian residents that is (1) robust 

enough to eliminate duplicate and fake identities, and (2) can be verified 

and reliably authenticated in an easy, cost-effective way. The ability of 

UID to positively establish and authenticate the identity of every 

individual can overcome many of the challenges faced by targeted 

benefit programs. 

In this issue of our e-Track magazine the focus is on UID. We have an 

article written by Ms. Anumecha Bhasker, Professor Richa Jindal and 

Ms. Navati Jain telling us about identifying and handling vulnerabilities 

in Biometrics of UID. 

Ms. Namrata Nagpal is telling us through her informative article the 

evolution and growth of electronic payments in India. How 

AADHAAR can be instrumental in getting electronic payment system 

seamless. 

Mr. Umanath Kumarasamy tells us through his research based article 

that with the help of technology empowerment and increasing use of 

Smartphone and tabled based devices has increased the use of mobile 

banking many fold. 

Happy reading ................... 

Pramod Dikshit 

Contents 

From The Director's Desk 3 

Biometrics In Uid: A Framework To Identify And Handle Vulnerabilities 4 

Emergence Of Mobile Banking –the Indian Scenario 13 

Evolution And Growth Of Electronic (e-payments) In India 18 

News 22 

october 2011- september 2012 

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FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK 

It gives me immense pleasure to write this column especially when 

the Institute is entering a new phase of development. After the huge 

success in running five consecutive batches of our flagship programme 

“Advanced Diploma in Banking Technology”, with a 100% placement 

record, we have started a one year upgraded ADBT course (2012-2013) 

approved by the IBA. The industry today perceives the Institute as a 

premier state-of-the-art organization undertaking training in the domain 

of banking and information technology. 

For our Institute, the coming years are crucial for consolidation of 

what has been achieved and focused efforts are needed to put on wheel the thoughts and actions 

towards accomplishment of the vision. I congratulate the team of PNBIIT for all achievements 

and thank all learned members of Governing Body and Academic Council of PNBIIT and all 

eminent personalities of different premier organizations who associated with the institute and 

contributed for its development. 

We have been publishing articles related to various domains of banking and IT. In this 

issue of e-track the focus is on UID as we have recently seen a wave of registrations and 

controversies surrounding the same. The Unique Identification Authority of India has 

envisioned the UID as a number that will make it possible for Indian residents to easily verify 

their identity to public and private agencies across the country. The UID will pave the way for a 

variety of applications that leverage the reliable authentication the UID offers, within their 

infrastructure. Aadhar has an impact in financial sector especially micropayments. Despite the 

huge transformation of India's economic and regulatory structures, access to finance has 

remained scarce in rural India, and for the poorest residents in the country. Today, the proportion 

of rural residents who lack access to bank accounts remains at over 40%, and this rises to over 

three-fifths of the population in the east and north-east parts of India. 

To mitigate the lack of financial access in India, the regulator has focused on improving 

the reach of financial services in new and innovative ways – through no-frills account, the 

liberalization of banking and ATM policies, and branchless banking with business 

correspondents (BCs), which enables local intermediaries such as self-help groups and kirana 

stores to provide banking services. Related efforts also include the promotion of core-banking 

solutions in Regional Rural Banks. 

B. K. Mahindroo 

(Director) 

3 

october 2011- september 2012

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BIOMETRICS IN UID: A FRAMEWORK TO IDENTIFY 

AND HANDLE VULNERABILITIES 

Anumeha Bhasker, Prof. Richa Jindal & Navati Jain 

Introduction 

Chronologically, Australia was one of the first 

countries to try the implementation of a national ID 

card scheme, as early as 1986. These “Australia 

Cards” were intended to help check tax evasion and 

reduce illegal immigration. In the 1990's, countries 

like Canada, New Zealand and Philippines also 

initiated steps to introduce such national ID cards. In 

all these countries, the scheme had to be shelved 

after major public backlash. In the early 2000's, 

China attempted to introduce a national ID card 

scheme with biometrics, but soon had to withdraw 

upon realisation of biometrics' liability to major 

failures. USA and UK too, although having spent 

almost a decade trying to pass a bill, had to shelve the 

project after rigorous public protests. The countries 

that proposed the idea and failed to launch the 

project can be viewed in Table 1. 

Table 1. Countries that were forced to shelve 

national id project 

COUNTRY 

Australia 

United Kingdom 

United States of America 

China 

Canada 

New Zealand 

REASONS FOR FAILURE IN IMPLEMENTION 

Protests citing violation of Privacy and civil 

liberties. 

Protests against technological and Human Rights 

issues 

Protests on Confidentiality of private data. 

Difficulty in maintaining biometric data for a 

population so large. 

Public Protest against Privacy threat 

Public backlash against hampering on civil 

liberties. 

In the few countries that were able to 

incorporate the national ID schemes, this was done 

by adhering to public sentiments. For example, 

Sweden and Italy have extraordinary rules regarding 

use of data of it's citizens, Germany doesn't allow 

collection of biometric information, France 

launched a non-compulsory national ID card, and 

Greece had to remove certain data acquired 

following massive public protests (Table 2). 

Table 2. Countries which implemented national id 

project 

COUNTRY COMPROMISES MADE 

Hong Kong None, biometrics included. 

Malaysia None, biometrics included. 

Finland 

Little personal information and no 

biometric data. 

Germany No Biometrics 

2.0 Unique Identification In India: Aadhaar 

The Government of India has announced the 

creation of the Unique ID Authority of India 

(UIDAI) to generate the largest IT project of the 

globe – the Unique ID (UID) project – with an aim to 

provide a unique twelve digit number to 1.2 billion 

residents of India. The concept of national identity 

scheme is not very new for India as the Government 

had been evaluating various alternatives for an 

identity scheme since a couple of decades. The 

Government of India (GOI) undertook an effort to 

provide a clear identity to residents first in 1993, 

with the issue of photo identity cards by the Election 

Commission and subsequently in 2003, when it 

approved the Multipurpose National Identity Card 

(MNIC). The Unique Identification Authority of 

India (UIDAI) was established in January 2009, as 

an attached office to the Planning Commission. The 

purpose of UIDAI is to issue a unique identification 

number (UID) to all Indian residents that is (a) 

robust enough to eliminate duplicate and fake 

identities, and (b) can be verified and authenticated 


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in an easy, cost-effective way [6]. The process of 

generating this identification number will start with 

getting the biometrics of each resident of the country 

along with certain demographic details, as would be 

needed for any business (like a bank or a telecom 

operator) or government organization to identify a 

particular Indian resident. Biometrics of all ten 

fingers, along with the iris scan of both the eyes and 

the photo of the face has been decided to be taken as 

identifiers of all residents. 

3.0 Biometrics Involved In The UID Project 

The UIDAI proposes to use three biometric 

devices for the implementation of this project 

namely the IRIS scanner, fingerprint scanner and a 

face camera [1]. The collection of such biometric 

data and the storage involved has been considered to 

be quite noteworthy in the UID project. The 

biometric solution capabilities, according to the 

UIDAI would be used for biometric enrolment, 

biometric deduplication and biometric verification 

(shown in Figure 1).The overall design of the 

biometric system is most likely based on three key 

criteria, i.e. Interoperability, upgradeability and user 

friendliness. It is proposed that multi-modal 

biometric features using three biometrics listed 

above (fingerprint, face and iris) would be used. 

Fig. 1: biometric solution capabilities 

To begin, let us discuss the biometrics being used in 

the UID project for verification and deduplication 

and then evaluate each critically. 

3.1 Finger Print Biometric 

A fingerprint scanner takes an image of the 

user's fingerprint. For verification, it uses this image 

to check if the image matches the one in the stored 

database. Fingerprint pattern ridges may be a whorl, 

an arch or a loop. Also, minutiae points i.e. when the 

ridges bifurcate or end are also taken into account. 

The pattern and these minutiae on one's fingertips is 

what makes up a fingerprint and this pattern is 

known to be unique and hence has been used as an 

identification technique. 

The UIDAI proposes to use fingerprint for 

deduplication purposes .Various factors are to be 

considered in the case of fingerprints such as the 

type of image, number of fingers to be captured, the 

device used, immediate processing and the storage 

used. Though rolled images contain twice as much 

information as the plain image, they have been ruled 

out by the UIDAI as they require each finger to be 

scanned one at a time. The UIDAI committee has 

recommended scanning of all ten fingers as that 

would help improve the accuracy and matching 

speed especially in the case of rural workers. Of 

course, the operational process (operator assistance, 

corrective measures and retries) plays a role in 

obtaining good quality images. Since the UIDAI 

committee recommends that the image should not be 

compressed, the total storage required for the entire 

population is expected to be 10,000 TB. [2] 

Finger print will be used for authentication as 

well, but the requirements for accuracy, 

performance and interoperability are different .The 

UIDAI committee states that since a 1:1 verification 

is performed, the image may be of lower quality. In 

this case, a single or fewer fingers should provide 

sufficient accuracy. The format of the image to be 

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transmitted would depend on the transmission of fingerprint biometrics for verification has its set 

bandwidth as well as on the processing power of the of setbacks (Figure 3): 

capture device [2]. 

3.1.1 How the usage of Fingerprint Biometrics is 

Beneficial. 

When thinking with respect to the UID 

A major issue is that fingerprints of many 

people can change with time due to scars or 

aging .This is particularly seen in the case of 

manual laborers, which comprise a huge 

project's incorporation of fingerprint biometrics for population in the country. 

individual verification, for a country as large as The greater concern is that, there is a 

India, there exist the following advantages (Figure possibility of users who are falsely matched or 

2): not matched at all. Many such examples are 

It is easy to implement and inexpensive to cited in [3] such as the case of Brandon 

install. This is fortuitous for several machines Mayfield, who was wrongly accused of 

all over the country shall be required to be having been, involved the 2004 Madrid 

installed. 

Bombing, solely due to wrong fingerprint 

Having a record of Fingerprints in a matching. 

centralized database of the people in the Even the UIDAI committee recognizes that 

country can prove to be very useful for the “retaining efficacy while scaling the 

forensics 

database size from fifty million to a billion has 

Moreover, since fingerprint has the largest not been adequately analyzed.”[2] 

market share of all biometrics modalities, Also, Fingerprint quality, the most important 

globally it also has a variety of suppliers and a variable for determining de-duplication 

base of experienced professionals. The UIDIA accuracy, has not been studied in depth in the 

feels that this would be required to implement UID context. [2] 

the unique identity management solution at 

the scale that India needs. 

Where fingerprint 

biometrics in UID lacks 

Why fingerprint biometrics in UID is a good 

Fingerprints may 

change with time 

Possibility of 

falsely matched 

users 

Retaining 

efficacy while 

scaling up 

Fingerprint 

quality studies 

Fig.3. Disadvantages of fingerprint biometrics in UID. 

Inexpensive and easy to 

implement 

Experienced professionals 

easily available 

Fig.2. Advantages of fingerprint biometrics in UID. 

Useful for forensics 

3.1.2 How the usage of fingerprint biometrics 

may prove Ineffective. 

However, in a country as large as India, with 

people as diverse, belonging to different professions 

and living in different environments, incorporation 

3.2 Iris Scan Biometric 

There are two types of biometrics for the eye: 

iris scanning and retinal scanning. Iris scanning 

involves recognition of the colored portions of the 

iris around the pupil. It then uses this recognized 

pattern for verification .Retina scan works on the 

blood vessel pattern in the retina of the eye. The 


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process for authentication for iris scans is 

considered unique for each individual. 

The camera takes an image of the iris. This 

captured image is then stored in the database. During 

deduplication as well as verification purposes, it is 

used to provide a match of the person based on the 

data stored in the database. This can be summarized 

as shown in the Figure 4. 

Since the UIDAI feels that fingerprinting may 

not be sufficient to ensure uniqueness, it has added 

iris scan to the biometrics. This would overcome the 

problem of non inclusion of poor residents and 

children .When both eyes are scanned it helps in 

more accurate estimation of roll angle. It was 

expected that a total space of 200 Terabytes would 

be required for the entire population. For 

authentication, the committee felt that one eye 

would serve the purpose. 

3.2.1 How the usage of Iris scanning biometric is 

Beneficial. 

There is plenty of literature to support iris 

scanning over fingerprint biometrics. When viewed 

with respect to the UID project in India, it has the 

following merits to it (Figure 5): 

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It is claimed that iris scans are inimitable, as 

the iris, as an organ, is supposed to be one of 

the first organs to decay, after the death of a 

person. Thus, it would be hard to make an 

artificial iris or employ a dead one to bypass 

the system if the detection of the iris aliveness 

is functioning right. [4]. 

Also, as stated in [5], unlike the case of 

fingerprints, the iris of an individual is stable 

throughout his or her life. 

Speed of matching would be very high, i.e. the 

recognition algorithms can search up to 20 

million records in less than one second using a 

normal Quadcore – 2 Processor blade server. 

On the flip side, however, use usage iris 

Iris scanning is considered to give extremely scanning biometric doesn't come without its own set 

accurate results, overcoming the uncertainty of vulnerabilities. Some of these include (Figure 6): 

of error that lies with fingerprint biometrics. 

A major disadvantage would be that using this 

technology would prove to be quite expensive. 

This includes setting up of apparatus as well as 

employment of trained and skilled manpower. 

Fig. 4: Sequence involved in iris scan 

Fig.5. Advantages of iris scan biometrics in 

3.2.2 How the usage of iris scan biometric is 

Ineffective. 

The accuracy of hardware is also important as 

it obtains a small target from a distance that 

could be obstructed by eyelids. 

Also, care should be taken to ensure that the 

illumination is not too bright so as to avoid 

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damage to the eye [6]. 

There are the small issues, such as registering 

individual wearing contact lenses and so on. 

When compared to fingerprinting, iris scans 

are less studied and less standardized. 

WHERE IRIS SCAN 

BIOMETRICS LACKS IN UID 

Table.4. Comparison of fingerprint and iris scan 

biometrics 

Biometric Pros Cons 

Fingerprint · Inexpensive 

· Ease of implementation 

· Most standardized 

· More market 

Iris · Accurate 

· Inimitable 

· Stable, doesn’t change 

· High speed of matching 

· Fingerprint may change due to 

scars and aging 

· Non inclusion of children 

· Relatively high error rates 

· Expensive 

· Hardware accuracy 

· Less studied 

· Less standardized 

Expensive 

technology 

Closed eyelids 

may hamper 

accuracy 

Eye damage 

due to 

illumination 

conditions 

Registering 

citizen wearing 

contact lenses 

Fig.6. Disadvantages of iris scan biometrics in UID. 

Less studied 

and not 

standardised 

There are many other such technical 

challenges associated with robust face recognition. 

Face is currently a poor biometric for use in de- 

duplication. It performs better in verification but not 

at the accuracy rates that are sometimes claimed. An 

obvious way for an undesirable person to avoid face 

identification is by the use of disguise, which will 

cause False Negatives in a screening application. In 

general, it is a good biometric identifier for smallscale 

verification applications. In the UID project, 

Face images will be used primarily for human visual 

inspection and for deduplication purposes rather 

than verification as is the case for iris scan and 

fingerprint biometrics . However, automatic face 

recognition may be used as the secondary means of 

authentication/deduplication. Hence, we shall not 

delve into the details of this method, and have 

mentioned it here for the sake of completeness. 

To provide a comparison, following data is 

provided in Table 3 based on measures from the 

Biometric Product Testing Final Report (19 March 

2001, Center for Mathematics and Scientific 

Computing, National Physical laboratory), UK. The 

terms used are explained as: 

FAR (False Acceptance Rate) is the 

probability that there would be incorrect 

matches of the input pattern. 

FRR (False Rejection Rate) is the probability 

that there is a failure to detect a match. 

FER (Failure to Enroll rate) is the rate at which 

the system is unsuccessful in trying to create a 

template from an input. 

Table 3: far, frr and fer rates for the iris and 

fingerprint biometric 

Biometric FAR 

(False 

Acceptance Rate) 

FRR 

(False Rejection Rate) 

FER 

(Failure to 

Enroll rate) 

Iris 1:1.2 million 0.1 – 0.2% 0.5% 

Fingerprint 1: 100000 2.0 – 3.0% 1.0 – 2.0% 

The summary of the positive and negative 

aspects of the two discussed biometrics may be 

viewed in Table 4. 

3.3 Face Recognition Biometrics 

Facial recognition is a method that can be used 

to distinguish between people and is one of the most 

natural ways of doing so. Such a system can identify 

or verify the person using digital pictures by 

comparing with those in a facial database. The face 

can prove to be to be a good biometric, but due to 

large database size and high value of target accuracy, 

its capability to improve the FAR rate is limited. 


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4.0 Issues with Biometrics Performance 

Testing 

When we speak of biometrics performance 

testing, we concern ourselves with the reporting of 

recognition error (whether positive or negative, as to 

whether a biometric sample is from the same person 

as the biometric reference) and throughput rates – 

that has been the dominant biometric testing 

paradigm since early times. There also exist other 

forms of testing, such as standards- compliance, 

usability, reliability, availability, and 

maintainability, which are closely associated with 

technical testing [7]. 

It is important to understand how there lies a 

certain 'uncertainty' when relying on biometrics for 

identity verification. “Uncertainty” is a broader 

concept than “error”. It represents the doubt about 

how well a test result represents the quantity it is said 

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behaviours, the physical environment of the test: 

including acoustic noise levels, humidity, day of the 

week, season of the year, and so on. This will be of 

particular necessity when we speak of the Registrar 

Systems, when citizens come to claim a UID for 

themselves. 

So now, the tangible factors that impact the 

values of measurement at any given time must be 

controlled and monitored, while the intangible 

factors are what contribute to this 'uncertainty'. 

These uncertainties must still be dealt with. There 

are several ways to deal with uncertainties, and for 

the length of this paper, they shall be classified as 

Uncertainties tackled by Statistical Techniques and 

Uncertainties tackled by Other Techniques. The 

International Organization for Standardization 

document, “Guidelines for the Expression of 

Uncertainty in Measurement” (GUM) categorises 

to measure. Uncertainty can exist even in the uncertainties as: 

absence of error in the sense of “mistake”. A central a) incomplete definition of the measurand; 

source of uncertainty is definitional incompleteness b) imperfect realization of the definition of the 

in specifying all of the factors influencing the measurand; 

measurement [7] c) non-representative sampling-the sample 

To test for biometrics performance for the said 

application: as an identification parameter for the 

measured may not represent the defined 

measurand; 

UID, it is imperative to understand that how we d) inadequate knowledge of the effects of 

control, measure and report the values in a test must e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n d i t i o n s o n t h e 

reflect how we expect those values to be used by measurement or imperfect measurement of 

others. That is to say, our testing and reporting must environmental conditions; 

take into account, and state, how we expect the 

e) personal bias in reading analogue instruments; 

results to be used. 

f) finite instrument resolution or discrimination 

The “technical performance test” in 

threshold; 

biometrics being proposed for the UID must 

g) inexact values of measurement standards and 

measure everything involved in the test-both 

reference materials; 

tangible and intangible. This includes not only the 

h) inexact values of constants and other 

collection, analysis and computational equipment, 

parameters obtained from external sources 

but the human subjects and their attitudes, their 

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and used in the data-reduction algorithm; 

i) approximations and assumptions incorporated A technology test uses a pre-collected 

in the measurement method and procedure; database of biometric samples and reports the 

j) variations in repeated observations of the performance for each software package against that 

measurand under apparently identical database. So each software package is tested against 

conditions. 

exactly the same data and our results tell us about the 

5.0 How Biometrics Performance In UID Must 

Be Measured 

In biometric technical testing, performance is 

judged in terms of “error rates” in the recognition 

process: those errors being either false positive (an 

incorrect decision that a biometric sample and the 

biometric reference are from the same individual 

when they are not) or false negative (an incorrect 

decision that a biometric sample and a biometric 

reference are not from the same individual when 

they in fact are) — as well as the interrelated 

measures of “failure to enroll”, and “failure to 

acquire” rates and throughput rates. Any of these 

five measurands can be set as independent variables, 

impacting all of the other measurements in a test. 

The question arising next is of what is it that 

we actually measure, what statistical controls are 

required and what is our measurement uncertainty In 

1999, NIST developed the concept of three levels of 

testing in biometrics: technology, scenario and 

operational (Figure 7). It is our proposal that tests 

belonging to these three levels be used to measure 

the performance and applicability of the biometrics 

being currently employed in the UID project in India 

Uncertainty in technology 

tests 

Biometrics performance 

tests 

Uncertainty in scenario 

tests 

Fig.7. Levels of biometrics performance tests 

Uncertainty in operational 

tests 

5.1 Uncertainty in Technology Tests 

efficacy of the software with respect to the database. 

Examples include most of the NIST IAD biometric 

test programs, such as the Speaker Recognition 

Evaluation, the Multi-Biometric Grand Challenge, 

the Proprietary Fingerprint Template Testing, and 

MINEX programs. If there is a prescribed way to use 

the test data, then barring software or hardware 

limitations that may bias the results, and assuming 

pristine bookkeeping by the testing agency, the 

results of a technical test would be completely 

repeatable, that is, irrespective of the time or place it 

is conducted, the same results should be obtained in 

an ideal situation. 

However, blunders in recording or analyzing 

data can introduce a significant unknown error in the 

result of a measurement. While large blunders can 

usually be identified by a careful review of the data, 

small ones could be masked by, or even appear as, 

random variations. 

One approach that is proposed for technology 

tests is to employ a “divide-and-conquer” strategy 

whereby a single database is randomly partitioned 

into subsets, and the variability of the performance 

of the matching software among the different 

subsets be used as intimation of its operational 

acumen. 

However, in technology testing, test data is 

generally not a randomly selected subset of a larger 

database, such as the centralised database we see 

being used for UID. Rather, if a larger database of 


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biometric samples does exist, a selection of the test 

database is made to systematically remove 

problems, such as “poor quality” or blank images. 

5.2 Uncertainty in Scenario Tests 

A “scenario test” moves us from the use of 

previously collected data to the process of data 

collection from human subjects. The introduction of 

human data subjects directly into the test 

environment causes great changes in the unit of 

empirical significance and makes scenario testing a 

social science -- as much about the data subjects as 

about the technologies[7]. The goal is to model a 

system in an environment and with a population 

relevant to the evaluation. 

glasses, the less tangible influence quantities of 

human attitudes, perceptions and behaviours of both 

the data subjects and supervising experimenters 

impact the measurands and thus the repeatability 

and reproducibility of scenario test results. 

5.3 Uncertainty in Operational Tests 

The factors attributable to or impacting the 

data subjects which influence technical test 

measurements include, but are not limited to[7]: data 

subject age, gender, experience, and height; the 

instructional materials presented the data subject; 

the placement, height and angle of the collection 

device; the temperature, humidity, lighting and 

noise of the collection location. For a scenario test, 

the values of these factors in the operational 

environment to be modelled may not be known or 

controllable by the experimenter. In addition to this 

list of general, technology-independent, but human- 

related factors to be controlled, each specific 

recognition technology (iris, face, voice, fingerprint, 

hand, etc.) will have specific factors that must be 

within a state of statistical control. For example, 

when we speak of the iris scan, there may be the 

unattended problem of contact lenses being worn. 

Besides, beyond the observable and easily 

quantifiable aspects of the collection conditions, 

such as lighting and acoustic noise, and of the data 

subjects, such as height, handedness and presence of 

An operational test seeks to determine 

technical performance metrics in a real, application 

environment. In the case of applying these tests to 

the UID biometrics, it may be realised that 

Operational testing inherits all of the uncertainty of 

technology and scenario tests, but with added 

problems of statistical control over all population 

and environmental elements in the unit of empirical 

significance. Also, improvements in the biometrics 

system with the help of Operational tests will require 

in-depth thinking and innovation. This because, in 

an operational environment, the data subject will 

make some claim (perhaps only implicitly) as to 

being or not being the source of a biometric 

characteristic in the database. We can assume that an 

acceptance of this claim, regardless of whether true 

or false, by an operational data subject will go 

unreported. When a software decision results in 

“rejection” of the claim of an operational data 

subject, the data subject may be informed of the 

decision by some applications, allowing redress [7]. 

If we assume that the redress process always 

correctly classifies the original claim as “true” or 

“false”, we can get an estimate of the “system false 

rejection” rate. Of course, this assumption is 

incorrect, leading to measurement uncertainty. 

But those with an “accepted” claim, whether 

that claim is true or false, will not seek redress. 

Therefore in an operational system, we will have a 

way of estimating the “system false rejection” rate, 

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but not the “system false acceptance” rate. 

Thus, it may be realised that the relationships 

between the measurands in an operational test 

(system false acceptance/ system false rejection) 

and those in either technology tests (false 

match/false nonmatch) or scenario tests (false 

acceptance/false rejection) will be difficult to assess. 

It can be concluded that the three types of tests are 

measuring incommensurate quantities and therefore 

it is expected that the values for the same 

technologies will vary widely and unpredictably 

over the three types of tests. 

6.0 Conclusion 

The Unique Identity Project in India makes its 

promises to help enhance and ameliorate the social, 

political and economic lives of the people of India. 

The Government continues to envisage it from a 

developmental angle, but it is also important to look 

at its' fundamental building blocks from the 

skeptical eyes of a technologist. This has been 

successfully achieved by placing a technocrat like 

Nandan Nilekani as the Chairman. However, for a 

country as large and diverse as India, the smallest of 

errors can be expected to propagate fast and cause a 

problem much bigger than one would expect. The 

technologies being employed for identity 

verification and deduplication, that is, fingerprint 

and iris scan biometrics offer challenges, which 

need to be dealt with before the project is launched 

into the masses. This paper strives to suggest the 

possible areas where these problems can be 

eradicated, and offer solutions using statistical 

techniques to tackle uncertainties arising in areas 

where these problems cannot be gotten rid of. The 

UID project is one that offers to India great hope's: in 

terms of securing the nation from terrorists, helping 

policies made for the poor reach the intended masses 

and delivering social welfare programmes by 

making them more inclusive of companies, to speak 

on broad terms. However, there exist loopholes in its 

planning and implementation. Once these can be 

handled, there is not much that can stop the nation 

from truly shining. 

References 

[1]: http://uidai.gov.in/ 

[2]: Biometrics Design Standards for UID 

Applications, www.uidai.gov.in. 

[3]: R. Ramakumar, The Unique ID Project in 

India: A Skeptical Note 

[4]: P.Stanleya, Wilson Jebersona, V.V. Klinsegaa: 

Biometric Authentication: A Trustworthy 

Technology for Improved Authentication, 

2009 International Conference on Future 

Networks 

[5]: De:Duplication:The complexity in the Unique 

ID context.4G Identity solutions 

[6]: Rajanish Dass, Unique Identity Project in 

India: A Divine Dream or a Miscalculated 

Heroism? 

[7]: James L. Wayman, Antonio Possolo, and 

Anthony J. Mansfield, Fundamental issues in 

biometric performance testing: A modern 

statistical and philosophical framework for 

uncertainty assessment 


12

EMERGENCE OF MOBILE BANKING –THE INDIAN SCENARIO 

e-track 

-Umanath Kumarasamy 

Senior Process Associate 

INTRODUCTION 

The advent of the Internet has empowered 

novel ways to comportment business in all industry, 

banking must not be excluded from that. The new 

Per TRA I, in India we have 

893.84 million mobile phone 

users as of Dec 2011 and per 

Census data 2011, the population 

covering 1.21 billion; hence the 

73.85% of people are using 

mobile phone in India. 

approaches resulting in the creation of new 

institutions, such as online banks, online brokers and 

wealth managers. Such institutions still account for a 

tiny percentage of the industry. The mobile phone 

applications are very much important one to do those 

banking operations. 

Over the last few years, the mobile and 

wireless market has been one of the fastest growing 

markets in the world and it is still growing at a rapid 

pace. So, many advances and applications are in 

ongoing phase and everything is useful in different 

purposes. In this study we will see about the mobile 

banking and it usages as a main objective. Also the 

study attempts to account growth level of the volume 

and value of transactions done 

through mobile banking during 

the selected period to see the 

evaluation of mobile banking 

services in India. Let we start 

with what is mobile banking 

first and move to the objective 

of the study. 

MOBILE BANKING 

Mobile Banking a convenient way to bank 

using a mobile device that allows to do banking 

transactions in a simple and secure way. MB is a 

simplest way to transfer funds, pay bills and much 

more on banking. To reveal more, Mobile Banking 

(also known as M-Banking, mbanking, SMS 

Banking) is a term used for performing balance 

checks, account transactions, payments, credit 

applications and other banking transactions through 

a mobile device such as a mobile phone or Personal 

Digital Assistant (PDA). 

The earliest mobile banking services were 

offered over SMS. With the introduction of the first 

primitive smart phones with WAP support enabling 

the use of the mobile web in 1999, the first European 

banks started to offer mobile banking on this 

platform to their customers. The rapid growth in 

users and wider coverage of mobile phone networks 

have made this channel an important platform for 

extending banking services to customers. With the 

rapid growth in the number of mobile phone 

13 


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subscribers in India, banks have been exploring the by using a different delivery channel (retailers/ 

feasibility of using mobile phones as an alternative mobile phones), a different trade partner (Telco / 

channel of delivery of banking services. 

Chain Store) having experience and target market 

MOBILE BANKING BUSINESS MODELS 

distinct from traditional banks, and may be 

significantly cheaper than the bank based 

A wide spectrum of Mobile/branchless 

alternatives. The bank-led model may be 

banking models is evolving. These models differ 

implemented by either using correspondent 

primarily on the question that who will establish the 

arrangements or by creating a JV between Bank and 

relationship (account opening, deposit taking, 

Telco/non-bank. In this model customer account 

lending etc.) with the end customer, the Bank or the 

relationship rests with the bank. 

Non- Bank/Telecommunication Company (Telco). 

Models of branchless banking can be classified into 

NON-BANK-LED MODEL 

three broad categories - Bank Focused, Bank-Led The non-bank-led model is where a bank 

and Non-Bank-Led. 

does not come into the picture (except possibly as a 

BANK-FOCUSED MODEL 

The bank-focused model emerges when a 

safe-keeper of surplus funds) and the non-bank (e.g. 

Telco) performs all the functions. 

traditional bank uses non-traditional low cost 

delivery channels to provide banking services to its 

TECHNOLOGIES BEHIND MOBILE 

BANKING 

existing customers. Examples range from use of Technically speaking most of these services 

automatic teller machines (ATMs) to internet can be deployed using more than one channel. 

banking or mobile phone banking to provide certain Presently, Mobile Banking is being deployed using 

limited banking services to banks' customers. This mobile applications developed on one of the 

model is additive in nature and may be seen as a following four channels. 

modest extension of conventional branch-based 

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) 

banking. 

SMS (Short Messaging Service) 

BANK-LED MODEL 

The bank-led model offers a distinct 

WAP (Wireless Access Protocol) 

Standalone Mobile Application Clients 

alternative to conventional branch-based banking in 

MOBILE BANKING SERVICES 

that customer conducts financial transactions at a 

Banks offering mobile access are mostly 

whole range of retail agents (or through mobile 

supporting some or all of the following services: 

phone) instead of at bank branches or through bank 

Account Information 

employees. This model promises the potential to 

substantially increase the financial services outreach 

Mini-statements and checking of account 

history 


14

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Alerts on account activity or passing of set 

thresholds 

Monitoring of term deposits 

Access to loan statements 

Access to card statements 

Mutual funds / equity statements 

Insurance policy management 

Pension plan management 

Payments & Transfers 

Domestic and international fund transfers 

Micro-payment handling 

Mobile recharging 

Commercial payment processing 

Bill payment processing 

Investments 

Portfolio management services 

Real-time stock quotes 

Personalized alerts and notifications on 

security prices 

Support 

Status of requests for credit, including 

mortgage approval, and insurance coverage 

Check (cheque) book and card requests 

Exchange of data messages and email, 

including complaint submission and 

tracking 

EMERGENCE OF MOBILE BANKING 

SERVICES IN INDIAN BANKING INDUSTRY 

Financial Sector Reforms set in motion in 

1991 have greatly changed the face of Indian 

Banking. The banking industry has moved 

gradually from a regulated environment to a 

deregulated market economy. The market 

developments kindled by liberalization and 

globalization have resulted in changes in the 

intermediation role of banks. The pace of 

transformation has been more significant in recent 

times with technology acting as a catalyst. The 

financial system is the lifeline of the economy. 

Liberalization and de-regulation process started in 

1991-92 has made a sea change in the banking 

system. From a totally regulated environment, we 

have gradually moved into a market driven 

competitive system. Our move towards global 

benchmarks has been, by and large, calibrated and 

regulator driven. The changes in the economy get 

mirrored in the performance of the financial system, 

more so of the banking industry. The traditional 

banking functions would give way to a system 

geared to meet all the financial needs of the 

customer. We could see emergence of highly varied 

financial products, which are tailored to meet 

specific needs of the customers in the retail as well as 

corporate segments. 

In India, banking industry is prominent one; 

it is growing tremendously with all new technology 

developments. MB also one of the pillar to take the 

Indian Banking Industry top in position. The 

appraisal of MB in Indian banks is remarkable one; 

in below we will see the same with figures which 

drafted based on data from Reserve Bank of India, a 

central bank to the country. 

15 


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FIGURE NO.1 

sometimes simultaneously. 

MONTHLY MOBILE BANKING 

The mobile banking industry in India is 

TRANSACTIONS VOLUME IN INDIA ready to take off, especially with the ecosystem 

players, i.e., operators, banks and mobile 

manufacturers coming together and launching pilot 

services. The bigger question still remains whether 

these services are planned keeping “consumers” at 

the center, or whether it is just about the proof of 

concepts. Number of banking transactions done 

through mobile phone in India evidenced with 

upward movement, on another hand in below we 

Figure No.1 describing the mobile banking will examine the value in rupees against those 

transactions monthly volume in India from May transactions during the elected period from May 

2009 to November 2011. The trend clearly showing 2009 to November 2011. 

an upward move, 52538 banking transactions were 

FIGURE NO.2 

done through mobile phone in May 2009 and it 

M O N T H L Y M O B I L E B A N K I N G 

reached 2319145 banking transactions in November 

TRANSACTIONS VALUE IN INDIA 

2011, in between the growth had uptrend with slight 

volatility. The study covers 31 months (from May 

2009 to November 2011), therefore the average 

transactions per month pointing with 722335.16 in 

number. 

The emergence of MB has implications for 

the more general set of discussions about mobile 

telephony in the developing world. For example, it 

underscores the way the device blurs the domestic 

and the productive spheres, the social and the 

transactional. Each transaction is influenced by (and 

reinforces) the structural position of people in 

broader informational networks. The latest case of 

m-banking/m-payments systems is a reminder that 

an understanding of the role of the mobile in 

developing societies must include its role in 

mediating both social and economic transactions, 

Figure No. 2 demonstrating the monthly mobile 

banking transactions value in rupees transacted in 

India during the study period. The self interpreter, 

figure no.2 making clear impression that money 

value transacted through mobile phone from May 

2009 to November 2011 equally ascendant with 

number of transactions towered. Started with Rs. 

46,543 in May 2009, the MB transactions value in 


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India reached Rs. 17, 39,172 in November 2011, its 

really a remarkable one. However, the scope for 

value of transactions compare with number of 

transactions should have minimum, why because the 

non-money transactions also partake in the count in 

number of transaction done through MB. 

CONCLUSION 

With help of technology empowerment and 

increasing use of smartphone and tablet based 

devices, the use of Mobile Banking functionality 

enabled customer connect across entire life cycle 

much comprehensively than before, the study 

evidenced the growth in both volume and value of 

mobile banking operations in India. In this situation, 

the current mobile banking objectives includes 

building relationships, reducing cost, achieving new 

revenue stream will transform to facilitate new 

objectives targeting higher level goals such as 

building brand of the banking organization. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Umanath Kumarasamy, working in TCS E- 

serve International Ltd, Chennai as a Senior Process 

Associate now, before to TCS worked in the same 

area in RR Donnelley and prior to that performed as 

Database Analyst in CMOTS InfoTech, who have 

had completed his research program in commerce 

with specialization on financial management at Dept 

of Commerce, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. 

He holding the degrees named M.Com (CA), M. 

Phil and MBA. 

He presented three research papers in 

international level and eleven in national level 

seminars and conferences; also he published four 

national level articles and one international level 

article. If you want to be in touch with him please 

write to vku_mphil@rediffmail.com. 

Authored By- Umanath Kumarasamy, Senior 

Process Associate, TCS E-Serve International 

Limited, Email: vku_mphil@rediffmail.com 

17 


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EVOLUTION AND GROWTH OF ELECTRONIC (E-PAYMENTS) IN INDIA 

-Namrata Nagpal 

T h e p e r i l s o f 

establishing nationwide 

identity systems have 

always been a hot topic of 

debate in countries that 

attach great value to privacy and human rights of its 

holds a cabinet rank. The 

UIDAI is part of the Planning 

Commission of India. Nandan 

Nilekani, former co-chairman 

of Infosys Technologies, was 

appointed as the first Chairman 

citizens. Plans to launch national ID cards have met of the authority in June 2009. 

with stiff opposition in UK, which announced the 

final design of its card in end of July 2009. The 

United States Senate too is getting ready to debate 

the PASS ID bill, a renamed version of George Bush 

regime's REAL ID that will bring in a national ID 

through the backdoor. 

Compare this with the scenario in India where 

the UPA government has launched a national ID 

program through the Unique Identity Development 

Authority of India (UIDAI), a body created blatantly 

bypassing the authority of parliament. And there is 

not even a whimper of protest from civil society 

groups or politicians. 

The Unique Identification Authority of India 

(UIDAI) is an agency of the Government of India 

responsible for implementing the AADHAAR 

scheme, a unique identification project. It was 

established in February 2009, and will own and 

operate the Unique Identification Number database. 

The authority aims to provide a unique id number to 

all Indians, but not smart cards. The authority will 

maintain a database of residents containing 

biometric and other data. 

The agency is headed by a chairman, who 

Ram Sewak Sharma, an IAS Officer of Jharkhand 

Government is the Director General and Mission 

Director of the Authority. 

What is AADHAAR? 

Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique number which 

the Unique Identification Authority of India 

(UIDAI) will issue for all residents in India. The 

number will be stored in a centralized database and 

linked to the basic demographics and biometric 

information – photograph, ten fingerprints and iris – 

of each individual. It is easily verifiable in an online, 

cost-effective way. So also, it is unique and robust 

enough to eliminate the large number of duplicate 

and fake identities in government and private 

databases. The random number generated will be 

devoid of any classification based on caste, creed, 

religion and geography. 

UIDAI launched AADHAAR program in the 

tribal village, Tembhli, in Shahada, Nandurbar, 

Maharashtra on 29 September 2010. The program 

was inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Manmohan 

Singh along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. 

The first resident to receive an AADHAAR was 

Rajana Sonawane of Tembhli village. 


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Basics of UID 

UID or AADHAR is a “unique identification” 

will also facilitate entry for poor and 

underprivileged residents into the formal 

number that is to be assigned to every resident of 

banking system and the opportunity to avail 

India – one person, one number. Since it will be 

services provided by the government and the 

issued to every resident, including children above 

private sector giving mobility of identity. 

the age of five, it is not a proof of citizenship. 3. Financial inclusion with deeper penetration of 

The numbers will be issued through various 

banks, insurance and easy distribution of 

agencies authorized by the UIDAI across the 

benefits of government schemes. 

country, called “Registrars”. Registrars include 4. The UID project was initiated on the apparent 

government, public sector and private sector premise that the poor faced great hurdles in 

organizations. Enrolment also entails collection of accessing benefits and subsidies due to the 

biometric data such as fingerprints and iris scan. inability to provide proof of their identity. As a 

This number, being unique for each person, can be result, every time an individual tries to access 

verified from his or her fingerprints. 

a benefit, the UID is a solution of its identity 

Documents required for registration: The 

and hence get a commodity. 

“Handbook for Registrars”, prepared by the UIDAI, 5. UID is supposed to act as an all-purpose, foollists 

valid identity documents for UID enrolment, proof identification device. This could help in 

such as the ration card, PAN Card, Voter ID, etc. facilitating all processes that require 

Those who do not have any of these documents can identifying oneself – such as opening a bank 

also apply for a UID number (Aadhaar). In such account or applying for a passport. 

cases, authorized individuals (introducers), who 

6. Will help fight corruption in welfare 

already have an Aadhaar, can introduce residents 

programs, enhance inclusiveness in 

who don't possess any of the requisite documents 

government schemes, and so on. Specific 

and certify their identity. 

areas where the benefits of UID are supposed 

Projected Benefits 

to flow are NREGA, PDS and public health, 

1. Aadhaar will become the single source of 

among others. 

identity verification. Residents would be 7. Biometric-enabled UID to authenticate 

spared the hassle of repeatedly providing identity can only help to prevent “fraud”, but 

supporting identity documents each time they is of little use in preventing collusion or 

wish to access services such as obtaining a extortion. UID can address the wage-related 

bank account, passport, driving license and so fraud in NREGA; it can do little about 

on. 

material-related corruption. 

2. By providing a clear proof of identity, Aadhaar 8. Many poor people do not benefit from 

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government welfare schemes because they do biometric data, 100% reliability in 

not have proper identification proof. Hence authentication can still never be guaranteed. 

UID will be the solution to their problem and Diverse conditions will throw up more 

help them seek proper schemes for their challenges to such a system. 

betterment and living. 

6. National Security and NATGRID: The UID 

9. UID will help in elimination of “bogus” cards number will be fed into a database to be shared 

and can help deal with “ghost cards” and with NATGRID, which includes 11 security 

duplicates. With UID, beneficiaries can claim and intelligence agencies like Intelligence 

their benefits wherever they are as UID is Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing, CBI, 

portable. 

Central Boards of Excise and Direct Taxes, 

Risks and Criticism 

etc). These databases would be integrated with 

information available not just with 

1. Security Risk: Since the UID database has to 

government agencies and public sector, but 

be accessible over networks in real time, it 

also private organizations such as banks, 

involves major operational and security risks. 

insurance companies, airlines, railways, 

The identification system may collapse before 

telecom service providers, etc. 

network failure and hacking. 

7. This would give security agencies the power 

2. There is also a significant risk of transmitting 

to access sensitive personal information such 

biometric data over networks where they may 

as bank account details, market transactions, 

be intercepted, copied, and actually tampered 

websites visited, credit card transactions, etc. 

with, often without any detection. 

and enable them “to detect patterns, trace 

3. Reliability: Another concern is the reliability sources for monies and support, track 

of biometrics. Worn-out fingers of farmers travelers, and identify those who must be 

and manual laborers will be difficult to scan, watched, investigated, disabled and 

and an iris scan can't be done on people with neutralized”. Though at one point of time, this 

corneal blindness or corneal scars. 

can be a huge benefit to the nation in tracking 

4. Reliability Criticism: There were recent down the fraudulous people but on the other 

reports of elderly citizens being turned away hand it disqualifies “Right to Privacy” clause 

from enrolment centers for failure in meeting issued by the Supreme Court of India. 

biometric requirements. 8. Verification and Authenticity of Information 

5. Besides the financial costs and time and effort collected: The bill does not clearly address the 

to enroll individuals and collect their issue of verification of information recorded 


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e-track 

/collected. The UIDAI delegates the 

responsibility to registrars and other enrolling 

agencies, but the possibility of flaws in 

recording information even by negligence 

remains unaddressed. 

9. Adoption of a direct approach: The 

government should clearly state whether the 

procurement of UID number is optional or 

mandatory. The UIDAI claims that UID is a 

“voluntary facility” – no one is obliged to 

enroll. As categorically stated by Mr. Nandan 

Nilekani, UID is not a proof of citizenship. 

10. Privacy Law: Law enforcement is one of the 

areas that need to be critically considered 

upon by the government before coming out 

with any verdict on the UID scheme. In the 

absence of any statutory law in the area of 

privacy rights, the enforcement of such a 

scheme directly involves a huge risk to 

confidentiality of personal information. 

It's high time when government should rethink 

on the ambitious dream and its implementation to 

make UID as central identity indicator. The pros and 

cons of linking it to those schemes which are only 

ray of hope for poor should be pondered over. The 

adverse impact of uncontrolled surveillance should 

be reflected upon. Parliamentarians need to question 

how reliable and useful such a technology will be in 

a vast country like India where a large population is 

still illiterate and not accustomed to such complex 

technologies. 

If used positively, UID itself can become a 

forceful weapon to sieve undesirable security risks 

out of the system. Therefore, right now, we need to 

seriously mull over the potential benefits and 

misuses of UID and be prepared with remedy. 

21 


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Google simplifies public transit information 

Google has announced that it had crossed the 

one- million mark in public transit stop information 

available through its Maps application. The million 

transit stops are spread across 500 major cities 

presented in an easy-to-understand format. The 

Indian cities on the list are Bangalore, Chennai, New 

Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai 

and Pune. 

The latest iteration of the Android app from 

Google Maps (version 6.10) simplified transit 

information, allowing users to pick their preferred 

mode of transit. This feature will be useful in cities 

that have multiple modes of transit available, and 

thus multiple layers of data embedded on Maps. 

Samsung Takes the High Road With WinPho 8 

Ativ S 

reverse of the word "Vita," or "life." 

It will be offered in 8 GB and 16 GB 

versions.The design of the Ativ S looks very much 

like that of Samsung's Galaxy S III. It has a 1.5 GHz 

dual-core processor, a 4.8-inch HD Super 

AMOLED screen, an 8 MP auto focus front camera 

with LED flash in the rear and a 1.9 MP front 

camera. 

It incorporates near field communications 

(NFC) so users can share information with other 

NFC-enabled smartphones by tapping the devices 

together. 

The Ativ S comes with Samsung Family Story 

preloaded. Samsung Family Story is a private social 

network that's also available on other Samsung 

devices, including the company's Smart TV. 

Samsung ChatOn also comes preloaded on the 

device. 

The public transit information available for 

Chennai, for example, includes data from the 

Chennai MRTS, Southern Railway and 

Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC). 

The Ativ S comes with the usual sensors -- 

For New Delhi, the list includes the Delhi proximity, accelerometer and so on -- and both A- 

Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System, DMRC, GPS and GLONASS. 

Northern Railway, Delhi Metro Rail and the Delhi 

Transport Corporation. 

The update to Google Maps is particularly 

useful in cities where visitors are at odds reading 

signages in local languages and have difficulty in 

getting around places. The Google Maps application 

for Android mobile devices can be downloaded free 

from Google Play. It requires data connectivity. 

(Source: www.thehindu.com) 

Samsung has announced the first smartphone 

running Windows Phone 8, The Samsung Ativ S. 

The most common cause of leaks from add- 

ons is when they accidentally hold on to extra copies 

of a website in memory after a user has closed a tab. 

The Ativ S is part of the company's Ativ family 

of devices. Samsung has created this brand for its 

Windows-based devices. Ativ, by the way, is the 

NEWS 

It runs on HSPA+ 42 networks and supports 

Bluetooth. It also has a slot for an SD card. Further, 

the Ativ S has a physical Windows button. 

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com 

Firefox 15 Goes on a Memory Diet 

Better management of memory and updates 

highlight the latest release of the Mozilla 

Foundation's Web browser, Firefox 15. 

Firefox's development team has steadily 

improved the browser's memory management over 

recent months, but with this release of the program, 

it's targeting a major contributor to the software's 

piggish memory ways: add-on applications. 


22

The pages pile up and eat massive amounts of 

memory with no user benefit. 

With Firefox 15, Mozilla has developed a 

mechanism to prevent those leaks from happening. 

The browser now detects that pattern, recaptures the 

leaked memory and frees it up. The result is that 

Firefox stays stable even if an add-on is making this 

mistake. 


e-track 

This integrates the company's virtualization, 

cloud infrastructure and management portfolio into 

one bundle. 

It lets users set up their own virtual data 

centers, consisting of virtual compute, storage, 

networking and security resources. 

The software-defined data center "transforms 

all data center services -- compute, storage, 

networking, security and availability -- into 

software to enable the on-demand provisioning and 

automated management of an entire virtual data 

center 

A software-defined data center brings all 

seven layers of technology in the Open Systems 

Interconnection framework "under the control of a 

single management layer". "This would allow 

administrators to manage how resources are used 

across systems and workloads." 


New vCloud 5.1 Brings Data Centers Into the 

Virtual Fold 

VMware has launched what it claims is the 

first solution to deliver what it calls the "software- 

defined data center" -- its vCloud Suite 5.1. 

free till the end of 2013; however users need to have 

a paid subscription to Google's cloud-based 

software for businesses, Google Apps, for 

uninterrupted access. 

The new business tools allow business users to 

control who can see their posts on the social 

networking website and features integrated video 

conferencing and improved administrative controls 

over the posts and who can see them. 

Google is giving a full preview of the features 

to Google Apps users. Moreover, users can also add 

a hangout to a Calendar event. Hangouts were 

previously accessible via Gmail and via Google 

Docs. Administrators now also have the option to 

restrict Hangouts for private meetings. Google is 

currently working on the mobile version of the new 

business suite along with more administrative 

controls. 

Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com 

Google releases new tools for Google+ business 

users 

Google released a suite of business tools for 

Google+ users. Google is offering these tools for 

23 


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BOOK REVIEW 

Author: Khaled Hosseini 

Publisher:Penguin Books India, ISBN: 978-0747585893, Pages: 372. 

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking 

story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's 

last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the 

reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, 

which puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this 

country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two 

generations of characters brought jarringly together 

by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the 

struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, 

are inextricable from the history playing out around 

them. 

The author has managed to tell the modern 

history of Afghanistan: from the end of the 

monarchy to the invasion of the Soviets to the chaos 

of rule by the war lords to the tight fisted maniacal 

rule of the Taliban to the post-9/11 return to some 

semblance of relative normalcy. The author again 

uses the device of telling the stories of two main 

characters of differing backgrounds. The author 

uses this novel to tell the story of Afghani women 

and the hardships that face them with each regime 

change. 

It is a great story wonderfully told, however, 

and the fact that it takes place in a land few of us 

understand makes it educational as well as 

entertaining. The writing is absolutely beautiful. 

The pictures he paints with his words are so vivid 

that everything from the fun everyday life to the 

squalor that war brings to the ordinary person just 

flashes before your eyes like a movie. There are 

some parts that have no doubt happened to many 

people but to think that any of this is even remotely 

possible will just 

kill you especially 

the parts about 

what a mother will 

do to save her 

children. 

It's not as 

violent as I thought 

it would be, given 

that it takes place 

during the war in 

Afghanistan and 

there is hope, but the story will shake you to the core. 

You have people living a regular life, they go to 

work, they fall in love, they have a family, they make 

mistakes, and they try to atone for their mistakes and 

then war hits and life as they know it changes within 

the blink of an eye. It's not a story about war though 

it's a story about people from different walks of life 

trying to go about the business of living as best as 

they can and trying to find a tiny corner of 

happiness. 

This book describes, through a human perspective, 

how the nation became a veritable hell for its own 

people after the usurping. How the people had to 

survive with restrictions on the most basic, most 

mundane aspects of their life.It is a good choice for 

readers who appreciate fiction that combines 

accurate history with wonderful story telling. 

KhaledHosseini is an excellent writer and A 

Thousand Splendid Suns is just another example of 

his gift for storytelling. 


24

Sep'12 - Punjab National Bank Institute of Information Technology

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