How & why Nandan Nilekani will define India in 2012
This year will be make or break for him. Nilekani is assured of a place in the history of Indian governance if he can make UID work.
By ET Bureau | Updated:
Nandan Nilekani
56 years, Chairperson of UIDAI
Sector: Governance
Career Milestones:
Co-founded Infosys along with 6 others in 1981
Took over as CEO from Narayana Murthy in 2002 till 2007
Why him:
Because, as the leader of a project billed the largest data management venture in the world, his success or failure this year will have big implications. 2011 wasn’t a great year for Nilekani due to opposition to the project. This year will be make or break for him. Nilekani is assured of a place in the history of Indian governance if he can make UID work. A failure, even if it is due to external factors and politicking, will be seen as a blot on an otherwise blemish-free career. It would also make people sceptical about the value of recruiting private sector stars in government.
His 2011:
There was trouble in September. A finance ministry panel rejected UIDAI’s demand to enrol the entire population. The ministry said this was duplication of work with National Population Register.
What next:
Nilekani faces a deficit of the promised legal backing for the UIDAI project. He also seems to have few friends in the government. If the government goes against the standing committee’s recommendations and gets the UIDAI Bill through parliament, he would be on target to enrol 20 crore people by March 2012. Say, that doesn’t happen i.e. the statutory status for his project eludes him, the way out could be the option proposed by Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, change the citizenship rules and bring UIDAI under the ambit of the NPR. But this too needs parliament’s approval. So 2012 seems a tough year for Nilekani.
Nandan Nilekani is India’s 34th richest man on the Forbes list of billionaires (as of March 2011) with a net worth of $1.8 billion.
Who else: AK Antony
71 years, Defence Minister
A man of all seasons, he is the leader Sonia Gandhi trusts the most in the Union Cabinet. In 2012, much to the disadvantage of all those who have underestimated him, including his colleagues, he is likely to become more powerful in the Congress. He is mindful of all the sensitivities of the Congress party’s first family when it comes to making decisions and airing opinions. The former Kerala chief minister has long been a beneficiary of his fidelity to the family. The maximum benefits from that may come this year.
56 years, Chairperson of UIDAI
Sector: Governance
Career Milestones:
Co-founded Infosys along with 6 others in 1981
Took over as CEO from Narayana Murthy in 2002 till 2007
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Call from PM to serve as chairperson of UIDAI, in July 2009Why him:
Because, as the leader of a project billed the largest data management venture in the world, his success or failure this year will have big implications. 2011 wasn’t a great year for Nilekani due to opposition to the project. This year will be make or break for him. Nilekani is assured of a place in the history of Indian governance if he can make UID work. A failure, even if it is due to external factors and politicking, will be seen as a blot on an otherwise blemish-free career. It would also make people sceptical about the value of recruiting private sector stars in government.
His 2011:
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UID project gathered momentum, with enrolments rising to around 12 crore from less than 15 lakh in 2010.There was trouble in September. A finance ministry panel rejected UIDAI’s demand to enrol the entire population. The ministry said this was duplication of work with National Population Register.
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Things got worse due to opposition from key ministries. Setback in December when the standing committee on finance trashed the project and rejected the UID Bill.What next:
Nilekani faces a deficit of the promised legal backing for the UIDAI project. He also seems to have few friends in the government. If the government goes against the standing committee’s recommendations and gets the UIDAI Bill through parliament, he would be on target to enrol 20 crore people by March 2012. Say, that doesn’t happen i.e. the statutory status for his project eludes him, the way out could be the option proposed by Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, change the citizenship rules and bring UIDAI under the ambit of the NPR. But this too needs parliament’s approval. So 2012 seems a tough year for Nilekani.
Nandan Nilekani is India’s 34th richest man on the Forbes list of billionaires (as of March 2011) with a net worth of $1.8 billion.
Who else: AK Antony
71 years, Defence Minister
A man of all seasons, he is the leader Sonia Gandhi trusts the most in the Union Cabinet. In 2012, much to the disadvantage of all those who have underestimated him, including his colleagues, he is likely to become more powerful in the Congress. He is mindful of all the sensitivities of the Congress party’s first family when it comes to making decisions and airing opinions. The former Kerala chief minister has long been a beneficiary of his fidelity to the family. The maximum benefits from that may come this year.
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