Unique Identification Number project gets new name, logo

Today is was announced that not only do we have a number of man, but a name and image.

-ptinewsThe Government's ambitious unique identity project aiming to give a 16-digit number to all citizens of the country was today renamed 'AADHAAR' and its new logo unveiled.

The Unique Identification Number project of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chaired by IT czar Nandan Nilekani was renamed 'AADHAAR' (foundation) as part of efforts to reach out to the common man.

"UID itself is very confusing. Some people call it DUI, somebody calls it IUD and so forth. So it was getting a little difficult to explain all this various permutations, combinations of this acronym," Nilekani said.

"Therefore, we wanted a name that could effectively communicate its transformational potential and its promise to residents. Something that had a national appeal that could be recognised across the country, could resonate in different languages and easy to remember and speak," he said.

Nandan Nilekani, Chairman, UIDAI, said,

“The word ’AADHAAR’ communicates the fundamental role of the UID initiative – its relevance, universality and its impact. It represents a new dawn of equal opportunity for each individual, which emerges from the unique identification which the number guarantees each individual. AADHAAR’s assurance of uniqueness and centralized online identity verification would be the basis for building these multiple services and applications - facilitating a greater connectivity to markets. AADHAAR would give any resident the ability to access these services and resources, anytime, anywhere in the country.”

 

 

Meaning of the Name AADHAAR

The Adhara - the "vehicle" or support of Consciousness

 

The name as it appears in a barcode

The Sanskrit word Adhara - meaning "support" or even "vehicle of Consciousness" - or adhar for short, is used to refer here to the embodied psychophysical being, as opposed to the higher spiritual nature. It includes the gross body and the various subtle bodies, the emotional and mental being, the subconscious, the aura, the ego, the samskaras or vasanas of past lives; in fact anything and everything that distinguishes each of us both from the rest of the universe and from our own intrinsic inner or higher Divine nature.

The adhar is what the Higher Self or Evolving Divine Soul uses as the means of evolution and growth to perfection, as well as its expression in the material world. It is also the base matter or object of spiritual transformation and transmutation. The Divine Self or True Nature in all its aspects is already completely of the nature of the Divine. But the adhar, the way that the Divine Soul acts in the world, is of the nature of imperfection, ignorance, sefishness, and fear. But even so, it can become perfect, which is one possible yoga or spiritual path; the yoga of integral transformation.

For many, especially those of inferior development, the adhar lacks integrity, and is easily pushed from its equilibrium. For those who live only in their outer being, this isn't even an issue; the adhar is quitre adequate for the task of day to day life. Here, its weakness is simply part of human nature, as explain by phrases like "I'm only human" (hence, imperfect), and not to be condemned. Of course it is good to work on oneself, and strengthen the adhar, and help guide its (that is, one's own) march to perfection of godhood (whether the transcendent and only partial godhood of heaven or nirvana, or the far greater immanent godhood of supramentalisation). This working on oneself; on one's adhar, is what is called Spirituality.

The situation is different when one encounters a powerful spiritual or transpersonal presence, or has a sudden opening to the subtle, the astral, or the spiritual worlds, and the experience of the Intermediate Zone. If the adhar is grounded and stable, and the Divine Center is in control, there is no harm, and in fact the opposite; great progress is made.

But if the adhar is weak, in that the person is self-centered, unable to defer pleasure, with little discipline or self-control, and a fragile but hypersensitive ego, then there is trouble. The personality may lose its equilibrium and be be swallowed up in the stronger reality or presence, or narcissistically identify with it (a phenomenon known as inflation).

A combination of these two factors - subtle or spiritual current or descent on the one hand, and a weak adhar or vehicle on the other, results in the dangerous phenomenon of the charismatic intermediate zone guru. Very often (although not always!) this so-called guru takes the form of an abusive personality, the abusiveness is due to simple lower human ugliness, but also at times to the weak adhar being appropriated by adverse forces. But because of the huge degree of ignorance most people have of authentic spirituality, this abusive and manipulative behaviour is rationalised as enlightened "crazy wisdom", or as "tests" or "lila" or the Master's "fiery love". All these explanations prove nothing but the stupidity and gullibility of most devotees, many of which themselves would have serious issues of low self esteem and the need for humiliation, hence they are attracted to such figures.

Or the person in question may simply go insane, develop a paranoid psychosis, because teh adhar cannot resist the rush of astral suggestions. Modern psychiatry really has no understanding of these subtle forces; it is very good with giving out drugs and understanding chemical imbalances in the brain, but it cannot understand the occult roots of psychosis, or why many schizophrenics have what are essentially spiritual and cosmological visions. This is not to say that psychosis should go schizophrenia, but simply to offer an additional, complementary, perspective.

But if the adhar is strong, and stable, and surrendered to the Divine, and under the guidance of the Higher Self, then things progress from strength to strength. The adhar receives and can hold the descent of subtle, astral, and spiritual light, surrenders and is strengthened and grows further, eventually becoming the outer form of an authentic Adept, Master, or Sadguru, or even the vehicle of an avatar. In this, the essential human personality is not lost, but contributes to the and helps define the way the Divine or Universal Self relates to and brinbgs salvation to other beings still suffering in the world. The true Guru or Avatar perfectly combines the Divine and Human elements.

The Image, "Logo"

He said the same standard was also set for the making of the logo. The new logo, with a sun in yellow and a fingerprint in the centre, was also made public at a seminar organised by the UIDAI here. Interestingly, the logo, selected after a nationwide competition, was unveiled by Dhaneshwar Ram, a resident of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, who was invited by the UIDAI to speak on the hardships faced by the common man in getting an identity at present.

Speaking to PTI, Pande, who is a designer by profession said, "My sister told me about this competition. I read through their concept notes and knew that I had to create something which is easily recognisable. Any rural person would be able to easily recognise the sun and the fingerprint."