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Public update

India’s Most Popular Number: 10 Million Citizens, One Phone

26 January 2026 - New Delhi, India

Record date
26 Jan 2026
Location
New Delhi, India
The odd part

The ultimate masterclass in resource sharing: 1 crore people sharing a single mobile number for government benefits.

What happened

Digital India has reached a level of connectivity that defies logic. The latest CAG audit flagged a 'structural flaw' where one crore candidates under a government welfare scheme were registered using the exact same mobile number and email address. While the government claims this eliminated middlemen, critics suggest it has merely created a 'Super Beneficiary' who is apparently the most skilled and well-funded person in human history. The digital architecture meant to ensure transparency has instead created a hive-mind of identity data, where millions of people are technically the same person in the eyes of the server.

Source material