Indians may have a unique identification number
Official sources say that UID should be in place by June 2008 for effective targeting and implementation of government schemes. Scouting for talent
By Rajeev Jayaswal, TNN |
NEW DELHI: Indian citizens may have a unique identification (UID) number soon. The government may issue an executive order to introduce a unique number for citizens that could be used for a wide range of activities including social benefit programmes, security-related applications, employment, targeted subsidies and financial transactions.
According to official sources, "UID should be in place by June 2008 for effective targeting and implementation of government schemes." The UID programme is being undertaken by the department of information technology (DIT) under the direction of the Planning Commission. Another purpose of the scheme is immigration control in a phased manner.
The government also intends to ensure that citizens are not harassed during its implementation. While giving an in-principle approval, the prime minister's office (PMO) has instructed that "the scheme should be devised in such a manner that the responsibility of keeping records, maintaining data banks and verifying the authenticity of individual beneficiaries would be primarily that of the state and not of the beneficiary", an official source said.
It is also likely the UID scheme would be combined with an existing scheme, multipurpose national identity card project (MNIC), a similar pilot programme launched by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in border areas.
An empowered group of ministers (EGoM) has been constituted to combine the two schemes. Under MNIC, citizens of 18 years or above living in border areas are being issued smart cards.
It is understood that MNIC implementation could be used in border areas for control of immigration while UID could be implemented in rest of the country. "The experience of the pilot project shows the determination of citizenship is a complex issue as it has never been questioned in the past," an official said.
A committee of secretaries, while considering the proposal for preparation of national population register (NPR), concluded that the UID scheme should be implemented and the NPR should be completed by 2011.
According to official sources, "UID should be in place by June 2008 for effective targeting and implementation of government schemes." The UID programme is being undertaken by the department of information technology (DIT) under the direction of the Planning Commission. Another purpose of the scheme is immigration control in a phased manner.
The government also intends to ensure that citizens are not harassed during its implementation. While giving an in-principle approval, the prime minister's office (PMO) has instructed that "the scheme should be devised in such a manner that the responsibility of keeping records, maintaining data banks and verifying the authenticity of individual beneficiaries would be primarily that of the state and not of the beneficiary", an official source said.
It is also likely the UID scheme would be combined with an existing scheme, multipurpose national identity card project (MNIC), a similar pilot programme launched by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in border areas.
An empowered group of ministers (EGoM) has been constituted to combine the two schemes. Under MNIC, citizens of 18 years or above living in border areas are being issued smart cards.
It is understood that MNIC implementation could be used in border areas for control of immigration while UID could be implemented in rest of the country. "The experience of the pilot project shows the determination of citizenship is a complex issue as it has never been questioned in the past," an official said.
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A committee of secretaries, while considering the proposal for preparation of national population register (NPR), concluded that the UID scheme should be implemented and the NPR should be completed by 2011.
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