Technology in and for Development A Researcher’s Quandary from the Global South

Using the example of Aadhaar, India’s digital biometric identity system, this study examines the sociotechnical consequences of implementing a mandatory national digital ID. It addresses the analytical and methodological challenges of integrating a prescribed technology into everyday life, illustrating how users perform “active acts of translation” to make technology fit their contexts. In doing so, it emphasizes the researcher’s role in disentangling the translation process from the original technology design to its actual use.