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Unique ID numbers in 12-18 months

Special Correspondent

Nilekani takes over as Unique Identification Authority chief

— Photo: V. Sudershan

CHANGE OF ROLE: The former CEO and co-chairman of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani, after assuming office as Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: High-profile Information Technology expert and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani on Thursday took charge as Chairman of the newly created Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI) and promised to roll out the first set of unique identification numbers within 12-18 months.

Speaking to the media at his office in Yojana Bhavan here, he said: “In the next 12 to 18 months, we will be issuing the first set of unique identification numbers …The Finance Minister [Pranab Mukherjee] in his budget speech has said that the ID numbers would be issued in 12-18 months. We take that as [a] very strong direction and commitment. So we intend to abide by that.”

Lest there be any ambiguity over the task entrusted to the UIAI, Mr. Nilekani clarified that the Authority’s job would be not to issue cards but only create a database of the identity of people. “We are not going to be issuing cards. We are going to be issuing numbers. We are going to issue a unique identification number for each person …Our intention is to give everybody a unique number to each person ... We will have to do it with some kind of biometric identification,” he said.

Simple database

The Cabinet-ranked chief of the UIAI said these numbers would provide an identity to citizens, help them in reaping the benefits of various government schemes and also facilitate other activities such as opening bank accounts and obtaining electricity connection.

“We will have a very simple database, which provides biometric and demographic identity details like name, number, date of birth, very basic things,” he said. Various government departments might use the database for different purposes.

“So the people who are in the public distribution system will use the number to authenticate whether an individual is eligible to get some subsidies like kerosene or food or whatever.”

With an allocation of Rs. 120 crore for the current fiscal, Mr. Nilekani noted that his first task would be to set up a team by picking up the best talent available from the government as well as the private sector to prepare the residents’ database.

Nilekani to use database of government, oil firms

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