Providing Unique Identity Number

— Ajoyendranath Trivedi With Nandan Nilekani as the chairman, the Unique Identity Authority of India is now all set to take up country’s most ambitious and strategic project of providing unique identity (UID) to the people of the country. In January, 2009 Government of India through a notification paved the way for setting up of Unique Identity Authority of India. The authority is working under the aegis of the Planning Commission.

Citizens of the United States are allotted a social security number. The unique identity number will be on the similar lines. Ours has been a vast and multi-featured country. We had no concept of providing uniform national identity proof for the residents of the country. Even for casting a vote there was a time when proof of identity was not insisted on. It was the tough stand and untiring effort of TN Shesan, the former Chief Election Commissioner that the voter identity card could be possible. In a phased manner voters across the country were provided photo ID. These could be used for various purposes in establishing person’s identity. The voters ID were given to the voters (citizens above 18 years of age) whereas the proposed UID will be given to all residents without any reservation.

In the face of the growing complexity in our social life, proof of identity has become an inevitability. Air passengers, e-rail ticket holders, driving licence and telephone (basic as well as mobile) seekers require valid identity proof. Besides, for opening a savings bank account, availing credit card, requesting for a passport, an identity proof has always been a must. In addition to that, during security checks, occasional and regular, and while preferring entry to a security-sensitive enclosure, a valid identity proof becomes all the more necessary.

So, the Government of India was right in consulting different agencies for finalising modalities for issuing a multipurpose identity proof. After several rounds of consultations and considering different points of view, at last, the Government of India came out with the scheme of a Unique Identity Number. Briefing journalists the Union Minister of State for Personnel, said in New Delhi that the exercise would be a massive one and would take more than a year to collate and disseminate data. According to a news report a sum of Rs 100 crore was earmarked for the project in the interim budget presented to the Parliament in February, 2009.

As of now the residents have different documents as a proof of their identity. The present initiative will cut out a unique identity number for each resident. The government of India expects that 65-80 % of the residents will be provided with the Unique Identity Number by the year 2011. The next census operation is due in 2011. This exercise is expected to be completed within 2013.

Scheme of providing unique identity number to the residents is one of the most crucial steps towards ushering the era of e-governance. Idea of providing such type of identity proof to the residents was mooted long ago by the security agencies that faced difficulty in identifying genuineness of a citizen while making search operations and border vigil. Residents of certain selected cities received multipurpose identity cards in 2007 itself. But the progress on this front got retarded thereafter and government could be serious only when the Supreme Court of India advised the Union to expedite the process.

India is not the only country that is taking up this exercise. According to a report as many as 56 countries are having such type of unique identity number for their residents. Majority of these countries are from European Union. Residents of China, Brazil and Indonesia are also having such number.

The Unique Identification Number will be a 16 digit one printed on a card carrying photographs and biometric data of the holder. This will be a life long proof of identity and other basic statistics of the holder. With the help of extensive use of best technology this scheme is expected to provide a foolproof identification of the holder. It is hoped that the UID will reduce the probability of identity related frauds to a great extent. Procedure of registration and change of information on the card would be made hassle free.

UID will be provided to all the residents of India. Unique Identity Authority of India is the nodal agency responsible for issuing the UID. The authority will be under the overall control and guidance of the Planning Commission and shall work in coordination with National Population Register of the Home Ministry kept by the Registrar General of Census. The task is to be completed in accordance with Indian Citizenship Act. At the state level similar auxiliary bodies are proposed to be set up under the scheme. The Authority will create and preserve database and lay down all necessary procedure for issuance and usages of UID. Arrangement for collation, validation and authentication of information will be solely done by the authority and it would be responsible for utmost security of data and laying down rules for sharing and access of data.

The Unique Identity would help the holder in availing various services. Besides, it will facilitate easy verification of the holder’s identity. Once the scheme is fully implemented impersonation would be a difficult thing. Thus, on the one hand the UID will be helpful to the holder in securing different services and on the other it will help security agencies to ascertain the genuineness of the identity of the holder.

Interacting with newsmen the chairman, Unique Identity Authority of India Nandan Nilekani said that the UID project would have a ‘transformational impact on India’s economy and society.’ There is no doubt that this project is going to be, perhaps, the largest one undertaken anywhere in the world. Making a tamperproof ID for more than one billion residents of India is definitely going to be the most marvellous IT related exercise in India. It will replace other ID proofs.

The project could not have come at a time better than this. For quite some time, barring some exception, the IT industry the world over has been showing a declining trend. The UID project would infuse the domestic IT industry with some extra vigour. The country would have huge opportunity in the field of services in IT. According to an estimate the project size would be of around $2 billion, almost one-fifth of the size of the country’s e-governance project.

After his appointment to the post of Chairman of UIAI, Nilekani resigned from the board of the country’s second largest IT Company Infosys as the cochairman. In an interview to a TV channel he expressed his optimism and dedication to the mega project. A member of the National Knowledge Commission as well as the National Consultative Group for e-governance. Nilekani is a man of proven ability. We can hope that under his overall supervision this project will be completed in the time schedule and definitely fulfil the expectations of our planners. Success of this project will be a great catalyst for emergence of e- governance in India. SOURCE: ASSAM TRIBUNE