Work on identification card to start by 2010

The next time your US-return cousin flashes his social security number and extols its virtues, you may also
have your Unique Identification Card (UID) to boast of. Along with the Rs 120-crore Budget boost that the ambitious project received, the Centre too has got down to serious work in arming every Indian with a special identification number.

The UID Authority of India, a nodal agency working on this project under the Planning Commission, has directed states to immediately designate regional officers and district officers.

"We have recently received a letter from the Planning Commission to appoint nodal officers for the UID project at the state level and a divisional commissioner has been appointed for the post," said Chief Secretary of Delhi Rakesh Mehta. The Divisional Commissioner has asked the Delhi government to provide space for the UID project office and recruit staff.

"It is an extensive exercise. Except the General Census no such work has been undertaken in the country ever. Even with the Census, there is a databank to refer to. But in this case, we have no such reference point.u00a0 It's like counting heads. Most likely, the work will start next year when the Census begins," said a senior Delhi government official.

Hard work and confusion

Though officials are not yet clear about the details of the multi-utility card, based on the social security system of the United States, they say the UID will be a biometric card.u00a0 "It will be an electronic card with a person's bonafide details, his DNA information, driving licence number, his educational qualification and other data including records of any criminal cases registered against him. However, the biggest hurdle will be making it seamless. There are no instructions yet if dedicated staff will be recruited for the project or work will be outsourced to private agencies," said the official. However, Planning Commission officials said Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of Infosys Technologies and the head of the UID Authority of India, will soon unravel the details of the project.

World view
>>In the United States, the Social Security number (SSN) is a nine-digit number issued to US citizens, permanent citizens and temporary (working) residents. The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration. Its primary purpose is to track individuals for taxation purposes. In recent years the SSN has become a de facto national identification number. The first SSNs were issued by the Social Security Administration in November 1936 as part of the New Deal Social Security programme.

>>The United Kingdom is in the process of distributing a National Identity card to its citizens.

>>A number of countries do not have national identity cards. These include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Some like Austria, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, Sweden and Switzerland have voluntary identity card schemes.