Abstract

Identity systems are the intangible backbone of government, connecting citizens to education, health, welfare, jobs, and property rights. In India and the majority of developing countries, however, identity management is fragmented, discriminatory, and prone to forgery. Aadhaar has introduced some digital connection but still grapples with issues like fake beneficiaries, falsified caste and income certificates, recruitment forgery, and land record errors. Citizens are likely to have to go through multiple document checks, suffer bureaucratic inconvenience, and lose their benefits, while governments suffer inefficiencies, corruption, and increased legal disputes. This paper suggests a Blockchain-Based Unified Identity System (BWUIDS). This is intended to solve certain problems. BWUIDS combines Decentralized identifiers (DIDs), Verifiable credentials, Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs), and immutable audit trails in a tiered model. This serves citizens, increases transparency, and provides stronger governance. Unlike centralized models, BWUIDS allows citizens to be the owners of their data, provides privacy by design, and holds officials accountable by Cryptography. The deployment schedule is a phased schedule—from requirement analysis and network setup to credential onboarding and phased rollout—ensuring Scalability and trust. Across twelve case studies, the paper evaluates BWUIDS in areas of education, welfare, reservation justice, employment, medical services, property disputes, disaster relief, daily life services, and National Security. Across all cases, it shows how BWUIDS not only solves technical problems (such as fake certificates and ghost workers) but also redefines governance by incorporating trust and accountability into its very essence. The results indicate that BWUIDS can reduce corruption, eliminate inefficiencies, and provide citizens with control over their identities. For the government, it ensures transparent service delivery and reliable information. For the nation, it enhances internal security, facilitates disaster response, and enhances global competitiveness. While scaling up remains a challenge, legal norms and digital wisdom remain, BWUIDS presents a blueprint for national transformation—a system in which identity is not an issue but a link between citizens, the government, and the interests of the nation.

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