Aadhaar,Adivasis,and forced migration: Surveillance and exclusion of Gutti Koya in southern India

Abstract

This paper analyses how India’s Aadhaar biometric system influences the everyday lives of the Gutti Koya, an indigenous (Adivasi) and forced migrant group in southern India. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, it reveals that Aadhaar creates new vulnerabilities in accessing welfare entitlements, particularly health and nutrition services for women and children. The findings demonstrate a dual impact: Aadhaar operates as a state technology of surveillance and discipline, while its mandatory use excludes Gutti Koya households from accessing entitlements. To access care provided by the state, communities need to fit into the logic and technological architecture of Aadhaar, which they often struggle to navigate. The paper advances debates on digital governance, precarity, and citizenship among indigenous communities.