New Delhi: India’s cloud-based Co-WIN application is a “necessity” to implement the novel coronavirus vaccination programme, said Ram Sewak Sharma, chairman of Empowered Group on Technology and Data Management to combat Covid-19, as he dismissed privacy and security concerns around the app.
In an interview to ThePrint, Sharma said, “This (technology like CoWIN) is something that has to be done. It isn’t just something that is a fashion or something someone wants to do because it looks very elegant. It is a necessity. Without that, you cannot understand such programmes.”
Addressing the security concerns, the former Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI) chairman said the data collected by Co-WIN is “minimal”, not personally sensitive and “encrypted at the back end”.
CoWIN, essentially an extension of India’s existing vaccine intelligence system, eVIN (electronic vaccine intelligence network), is an IT solution for planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Covid vaccination drive in the country.
The app was rolled out on 16 January, when the Narendra Modi government launched the drive. India’s initial target is to vaccinate 30 crore people classified into four priority groups — health workers, frontline workers, people aged over 50, and those under 50 with comorbidities.
However, like with the government’s Aarogya Setu app to trace and assess Covid-19 cases, data privacy and security concerns have been raised about Co-WIN as well.
Sharma said the basic app operation is “flawless” and steps have been taken to ensure full protection of the data collected.
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Why there’s a need for Co-WIN when there’s Aarogya Setu
With Aarogya Setu already in place, questions have been raised about the need for another app to tackle Covid.
“Many people are confusing Co-WIN with having similar functionalities as Aarogya Setu. Co-WIN is limited to verification of people who come for vaccination. This app will be used by people managing the vaccination centre and not by individuals. Co-WIN is merely a vaccination app,” Sharma said.
“How can a government running a vaccination programme ensure that everyone is vaccinated? In a country of 1.3 billion, you can’t have these things done in a manual manner. You have to have a scientific system of maintaining data and vaccination schedules,” Sharma added.
Asked how the Co-WIN database would be used once the vaccination drive is over, he said it would be up to the government to decide.
“Suppose there is an issue related to virus variants, then those vaccinated will need a booster shot. And suppose the booster dose is required for only one particular type of vaccine, then we may require those people to be contacted and informed. The app would be needed then. But I cannot answer the long-term part of the question,” he added.
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On privacy and safety
Among the key architects of biometric ID Aadhaar, Sharma is no stranger to concerns around data privacy and security.
It is his deep investment and belief in technology that prompted the Narendra Modi government to hand over this crucial vaccination tech mission to Sharma, a former 1978-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Jharkhand cadre.
“Co-Win app stores only data related to name, age and gender, as well as which vaccine has been administered, on what date and where. Every data point here is required for the operations and monitoring of the Covid vaccination programme,” Sharma said.
“For example, we record which vaccine was given in the first dose so as to ensure the second dose is of the same vaccine. We record the date of the first dose because we have to monitor that after 28 days, the person can be sent a reminder to come and get the second dose,” he added.
Sharma said those with comorbidities will also need to upload a doctor’s certificate to that effect.
“We do not collect any data which is unnecessary. We are collecting only data that is not personally sensitive information. However, that does not say all this information should be displayed openly. Thus, we collect minimal information,” he said.
“We also ensure this information is not available for download by everybody. We are introducing privacy by design. All this information shall be kept encrypted at the back end,” he added.
On future of multiple databases
While India now has several sets of databases — Aadhaar, driving licence, PAN, voter ID, ration card and now Co-WIN as well — Sharma said no integration should be expected.
“Databases will continue to exist as they are. You can’t think of a single database. We have in this country a federated data architecture,” he said.
Explaining the use of this architecture, the retired civil servant said, “If there is a super database and it is breached, everything will be breached. But in a federated base, if there is a breach, it will be contained to that one domain only.”
However, he added that one way to ensure databases are clean with no ghost beneficiaries is to link Aadhaar at the back end.
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