In fact, Unique Identity (UID) project is an PRIVATE affaair all in all Managed and Implemented by India Incs and MNCS while Local or State Governance or ADMINISTRATION become quite IRRELEVANT. The DistrictAdministration would not have any Role or access in Data Collection or Data itself. No Political or Democratic Process would be ENOUGH to STOP Economic Ethnic Cleansing until the Project is Withdrawn!
Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Tme, Ywo Hundred Ninety Five
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Prime Minister's Council on UID Authority - Subsequently, on July 2, 2009, the Government appointed Shri. Nandan M. Nilekani as Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister for an initial tenure of five years. Mr. Nilekani has joined the UIDAI as its Chairman on 23rd July 2009. The Prime Minister's Council of UID Authority of India was set up on 30th July, 2009. The Council is to advise the UIDAI on Programme, methodology and implementation to ensure co-ordination between Ministries/Departments, stakeholders and partners. The Council would meet once every quarter. The First Meeting of the Prime Minister's Council of UID Authority took place on 12th August 2009.
The salient decisions in the PMs council were as follows :
- Need for legislative frame-work
- Broad Endorsement of the Strategy
- Budgetary Support to partners
- Setting Biometric and Demographic Standards
- UIDAI Structure Contours Approved
- Flexibility in Personnel and other issues:
- Choose, Deploy and Repatriate Officers
- Govt. Accommodation Eligibility
- Broad-banding of posts
- Hiring of professionals from Market
- Setting up of Global Advisory Councils of PIOs
- Interns and Sabbatical
- Global Procurement
Cabinet Committee on UID Authority – The Government of India issued orders constituting the Cabinet Committee on UID Authority on October 22nd, 2009. It is headed by the Honourable Prime Minister and consists of the Minister of Finance, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of External Affairs, Minister of Law and Justice, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Minister of Labour and Employment, Minister of Human Resource Development, Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Minister of Tourism. The Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and Chairman UIDAI are special invitees. The functions of the Committee, which is headed by the H'ble PM would be as under :
All issues relating to the Unique identification Authority of India including its organisation, plans, policies, programmes, schemes, funding and methodology to be adopted for achieving the objectives of that Authority.
Microsoft wants to be part of unique identity project: Gates
July 24th, 2009 - 6:11 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, July 24 (IANS) Terming the unique identity project as a "great initiative", Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates Friday said the software giant wanted to partner with India in the ambitious project that will give a unique identity number to each of its citizens.
"Microsoft wants to be a part of the unique identification project," Gates told a conference organised by the IT industry lobby, National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).
"I am very excited about the project. It is a great initiative. We need to make sure that every data is accurate. From a mobile phone number to anything," he said.
Gates added that he would meet Nandan Nilekani, who heads the Unique Identification Authority of India, Friday night to discuss the details of the project.
Gates is in Delhi to receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on behalf of the Gates Foundation.
The foundation is being recognised for "pioneering and exemplary philanthropic work around the world and in India in health".
Gates, however, pointed out that the applications in banking and healthcare is yet to come up in a big way.
Talking about India' infrastructure, Gates said: "Lack of roads is a big problem. India needs more roads which means more investment, something on the lines of Green Revolution of late 1960s."
According to him, the government's information and communication technology (ICT) projects for students "are yet to reach the level required".
"How different is education today?", he asked.
More on unique identity number in india : Privacy will be protected under UIDs: Nandan Nilekani (IANS Interview)More at : Microsoft wants to be part of unique identity project: Gates http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/microsoft-wants-to-be-part-of-unique-identity-project-gates_100222480.html#ixzz0gtcHcFio
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Unique Identification Number
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| | This article may need to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help by adding relevant internal links, or by improving the article's layout. (August 2009) |
Unique Identification Number (UID) is a recently finalized initiative by the Government of India to create and manage a centralized identification system for all the adult citizens and residents of India, which can be utilized for a variety of identification purposes. Nandan Nilekani former co-chairman of Infosys has been appointed as the head of Unique Identification Authority of India and will have a ministerial rank. [1] He has decided to step down from the board of Infosys Technologies.[2] The authority is notified as an attached office under the aegis of the planning commission.
[edit] History
The UID system is being considered since last 6 years, but it gained traction only after the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai.[3]
[edit] Format
The ID system is likely to be a large alpha-numeric string in order to accommodate the count of billion-plus citizens of India and ones that will be born in future. The card is likely to have a 16kb or 64kb storage chip embedded.Adding a photograph and biometric data would be planned progressively. [4]
[edit] Purpose and use
The ID is fundamentally being prepared to identify Indian citizens so that better security can be provided by identifying illegal immigrants and terrorists. However, the real power of the ID is in its ability to provide ease of identity establishment to Indian citizens when accessing a variety of governmental and private-sector services.
The likely benefits of the new ID system to the citizens will be as below: 1) Subsidies on food, energy, education, etc to people who are entitled to receive them. 2) Opening bank accounts 3) Getting new telephone, mobile or internet connections, 4) New light or gas connections 5) Getting a passport 6) The same card may act as a driving license and store your traffic violation records 7) It may act as your electoral card 8) Family genealogy may be traced
[edit] Funding
The Government had allocated Rs 100 crore in the interim Budget to startup this project.[5] The overall cost estimated for the project is likely to be in excess of Rs 10,000 Crore
[edit] Implementation
In the first phase, the UID will be issued to people living in the coastal villages of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Orissa. The Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadar and Nagar Haveli as well as Lakshadweep shall also be covered in the first phase. The first lot of cards is expected to be delivered by early 2010.[6]
[edit] See also
- National identification number
- Social Security number
- Multipurpose National Identity Card
- Unique Identification Authority of India
[edit] External links
- UIDnumber.org - For promoting UID
- India to launch 'ID card' scheme
- Govt downloads Infosys Nilekani, he says first unique ID card within 2 years
- What Nilekani will log on to in the ID project
[edit] References
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Multipurpose National Identity Card Untraced as It Would not Help Land Acquisition Drive! Having spent Ten Thosand Crore in Pilot Project, It is NOT Tracable as the Government of India Incs keep MUM and does not Care for the Parliamentary Commitment either!
Now, Boost for UIDAI to Kill Black Untouchable Refugees, ADIVASI, Slum Dwellers Sustaining Economic Ethnic Cleansing! The Pilot Project is almost COMPLETE in SIX Orissa Coastal District to strip the ADIVASI and Refugee Population OFF Citizenship so that Land Acquisition may progress aborting any resemblance of Protest, Resistance or Insurrection Isolating, Segregating the Indigenous Aboriginal Population!
Meanwhile,RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for favouring minorities over Hindus, and alleged that the majority community was not getting its due in the country, especially in the Valley where there was a separate yardstick of justice for them.
Privacy will be protected under the Unique Identity (UID) project and personal data will not be accessible to everybody, insists Nandan Nilekani, chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority.
In fact, Unique Identity (UID) project is an PRIVATE affaair all in all Managed and Implemented by India Incs and MNCS while Local or State Governance or ADMINISTRATION become quite IRRELEVANT. The DistrictAdministration would not have any Role or access in Data Collection or Data itself. No Political or Democratic Process would be ENOUGH to STOP Economic Ethnic Cleansing until the Project is Withdrawn!
'We are also conscious of the privacy issue. In fact the UID database cannot be read by anybody. The only thing you can use it for is authentication. We are making all efforts technically and legally to see privacy is protected,' Nilekani, a former Infosys co-founder, told IANS in an interview.
'At the same time we need a larger debate of privacy and what laws we need in the country. Today we don't have any privacy laws,' said Nilekani who quit Infosys last year and was handpicked by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to head the authority.
The first of these UIDs for India's billion plus citizens, says Nikelani, is expected to roll out any time between August 2010 and February 2011.
In the just announced union budget, the government allotted an expenditure of Rs.19 billion (US$409 million) for the UID project. A number of Indian service providers and some multinational companies like Microsoft have said they would like to be involved in the project.
Legal experts are sceptical about the protection of private data once the rollout of UID numbers begins towards the latter half of the year as they fear the number, which will be issued based on personal information given by a person, might be leaked to various other agencies.
The centralised nature of data collection inherent in the UID proposal, they fear, heightens the risk of misuse of personal information and therefore potentially violates privacy rights.
'There may be a requirement for certain frameworks but we are cognisant of the issue of privacy and we are making sure of the design and in a way that when it is used, a person's personal details are not divulged,' says Nilekani, who was last year in Time 100's list of World's Most Influential People.
For the moment Nilkani maintains that opting for a UID number will be voluntary. However, over the years other agencies could well make it mandatory.
'For a long time, many systems will allow both. But over time as more and more applications require UID for giving the service, people will have to get the number. The UID is a demand-led solution. We expect people to take the number because it is in their interest to do so,' he says.
'Some time in the future if some government service says UID is required, then it becomes essential. But that is many years down the road, only after government agencies give you adequate time to come on board.'
The project, which will cover even children, is aimed at establishing citizenship, reducing identity-related frauds, addressing security issues and preventing leakages in different government schemes.
'We definitely think it has great value, especially for the poor and the marginalised, because they are the ones that are suffering today due to the lack of acknowledged existence by the state,' says Nilekani, who has already met up with officials in 26 states, telecom operators and micro-finance institutions to help build the UID database.
The Authority will identify target groups for various flagship programmes of the United Progressive Alliance government, including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, the National Rural Health Mission and Bharat Nirman.
'At this point, it will give an identity to a large number of people who are poor and marginalised, who don't have an identity, who are not able to access public services. That is a very important requirement in inclusive growth,' Nilekani told IANS.
'Our challenge is to build our database from scratch mainly because we have to collect the biometrics, but the demographic information, if we are able to pre-register from other databases, we will be happy to do that.'
Unique identification number from February 2011
India will become the first country in the world to issue a unique identity number for each of its residents from February 2011 which will allow an on-line verification, a top official said Wednesday.
"We will start issuing the unique number by February 2011," Nandan Nilekani, chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), said here Wednesday at a talk organised in the Parliament House Library.
He said that giving a unique number to each Indian was a big challenge as UIDAI will make sure that there is no duplication. The project estimated to cost around Rs.30,000 crore will cover the entire population of the country.
Nilekani said that biometrics will be used to prevent duplication and the authority will keep the same kind of information as is mentioned on voter I-card. "We want to keep minimal information," he said, adding that there will be no invasion of privacy.
He said the unique number will enable the UIDAI to verify identity of a citizen online and India will become the first country in the world to have such a system. "No other country has done it. It will be gateway to open up public services to the people."
He said under the present system, verification process is being done over and over again.
Terming the project a "massively complex project," he said the authority will use state governments, banks, insurance companies and other such institutions as partners in enrolment.
The unique number will not give any rights or entitlements but can be later used for the purposes of citizenship, he said.
"It is a voluntary number. Even infants will get it," he said, adding that identity of mother or guardian will be used alongside in case of children as biometrics are not fully developed in them.
Nilekani said the verification process will be kept pro-poor and inclusive.
"I think it is a very powerful and inclusive idea. It will help the poor have better access to public services and will be a great enabler for their financial inclusion. The flagship welfare schemes of the government can be made more efficient," he said, adding that it will help strengthen national security, reducing fraud and increasing tax collection.
Giving an illustration of the use of the unique number in banking sector, he said it can help people make money withdrawals easier virtually leading to an ATM in every village.
Nilekani, who took questions at the end of his talk, said the country should formulate a comprehensive privacy law.
The talk, organised by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training of the Lok Sabha secretariat, was attended by several MPs and officials.
- Privacy will be protected under UIDs: Nandan Nilekani (IANS Interview) - Feb 28, 2010
- Nilekani says 600 million citizens to get UID in next 4-5-years - Sep 09, 2009
- Technology advisory group for unique IT projects soon - Feb 26, 2010
- Delhiites may get unique ID number within three years - Sep 02, 2009
- ID card agency to rope utilities to enroll people - Nov 19, 2009
- I-cards will enable poor access services: PM - Aug 12, 2009
- First unique ID number to be issued within a year: Nilekani - Oct 30, 2009
- No number choice in UID: Nilekani - Nov 13, 2009
- Allotment of unique IDs to start Feb 2011: Nilekeni - Dec 19, 2009
- Unique identity cards to all citizens by 2011: Chidambaram - Sep 21, 2009
More at : Unique identification number from February 2011 http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/unique-identification-number-from-february-2011_100290460.html#ixzz0gtbtuzEw
- 'Big mistake' if US blocks overseas skilled workers: Bill Gates (Lead) - Jul 24, 2009
- Bill Gates says US curb on skilled migrant labour will be a 'mistake' - Jul 24, 2009
- Bill Gates says he seldom logs out (Lead) - Jul 24, 2009
- Bill Gates says he seldom feels drained - Jul 24, 2009
- Bill Gates to visit India this week - Jul 21, 2009
- Privacy will be protected under UIDs: Nandan Nilekani (IANS Interview) - Feb 28, 2010
- Nandan Nilekani praises e-governance work in Bihar - Nov 17, 2009
- Technology advisory group for unique IT projects soon - Feb 26, 2010
- Bill Gates ups AIDS aid to $338 mn in India - Jul 23, 2009
- E-birth certificates likely - with Nilekani's help - Aug 27, 2009
More at : Microsoft wants to be part of unique identity project: Gates http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/microsoft-wants-to-be-part-of-unique-identity-project-gates_100222480.html#ixzz0gtcOgVgx
More at : Unique identification number from February 2011 http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/unique-identification-number-from-february-2011_100290460.html#ixzz0gtbdkjMM
Unique Identification Authority of India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Unique Identification Authority of India | |
|---|---|
| भारतीय विशिष्ट पहचान प्राधिकरण | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | February 2009 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of India (Union Government) |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Agency executives | Nandan Nilekani, Chairman Ram Sewak Sharma, Director General and Mission Director |
| Website | |
| http://uidai.gov.in | |
| This article is part of the series: |
| Other countries · Politics Portal |
The Unique Identification Authority of India (Hindi: भारतीय विशिष्ट पहचान प्राधिकरण), or the UIDAI, is an agency of the Government of India responsible for implementing the envisioned Multipurpose National Identity Card or Unique Identification card (UID Card) project in India. It was established in February 2009, and will own and operate the Unique Identification Number database.[1] The authority will aim at providing a unique number to all Indians, but not smart cards.[2] The authority would provide a database of residents containing very simple data in biometrics.[3]
The agency is headed by a chairman, holds a cabinet rank. The UIDAI is part of the Planning Commission of India.[1][4] Nandan Nilekani, a former co-chairman of Infosys Technologies, was appointed as the first Chairman of the authority in June 2009.[5]. R.S. Sharma, an IAS Officer of Jharkhand Government cadre has been appointed as the Director General and Mission Director of the Authority. He is known for his best effort in e-Governance project for Jharkhand State and working as an IT secretary he received a number of awards for best Information Technology Trends State in India.
[edit] Coverage, goals and logistics
It is believed that Unique National IDs will help address the rigged state elections, widespread embezzlement that affects subsidies and poverty alleviation programs such as NREGA.[6] Addressing illegal immigration into India and terrorist threats is another goal of the program.[7]
Most reports suggest that the plan is for each Indian citizen to have a unique identification number with associated identifying biometric data and photographs by 2011.[8] However, other reports claim that obtaining a unique number would be voluntary, but those that opt to stay out of the system "will find it very inconvenient: they will not have access to facilities that require you to cite your ID number."[2]
Government issued IDs are fragmented by purpose and region in India, which results in widespread bribery, denial of public services and loss of income, especially afflicting poor citizens.[9] As the unique identity database comes into existence, the various identity databases (voter ID, passports, ration cards, licenses, fishing permits, border area id cards) that already exist in India are planned to be linked to it.[2] The Authority is liaising with various national, state and local government entities to begin this process. The Union Labor Ministry has offered its verified Employment Provident Fund (EPFO) database of 42 million citizens as the first database to be integrated into the unique ID system.[10]
Other UID projects implemented on a smaller scale in India can also facilitate in the development of the national project. An example is a project developed by Wolf Frameworks Cloud Computing vendor and Social Education and Development Society (SEDS) for profiling and generating Unique Identification for more than 40,000 members in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. [11]
[edit] Projected costs and business opportunities
One estimate of the cost to completely roll-out National IDs to all Indian residents above the age of 18 has been placed at Rs 150,000 crore (US$ 32.25 billion).[12] A different estimate puts it at US$ 6 billion.[13] A sum of Rs. 100 crore (US$ 21.5 million) was approved in the 2009-2010 union budget to fund the agency for its first year of existence.[1]
Initial estimates project that the initiative will create 1000 new jobs in the country, and business opportunities worth Rs 6,500 crore (US$ 1.4 billion) in the first phase [8] of implementation.
[edit] Criticism
There are many potential privacy fallouts of this project, not the least of which is triggered by the Government's official plan to link the databases together. The MNIC is also unconstitutional as it violates fundamental right to privacy. The right to privacy of citizens will be greatly compromised if MNICs are made compulsory. Although there is sometimes a tension between individual privacy rights and national security, international law and India's domestic law expressly set a standard in tort law and through constitutional law to protect an individual's privacy from unlawful invasion. Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by India, an individual's right to privacy is protected from arbitrary or unlawful interference by the state.
The Supreme Court also held the right to privacy to be implicit under article 21 of the Indian Constitution in Rajgopal v. State of Tamil Nadu. Moreover, India has enacted a number of laws that provide some protection for privacy. For example the Hindu Marriage Act, the Copyright Act, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and the Code of Criminal Procedure all place restrictions on the release of personal information. Privacy is a key concern with respect to the MNIC scheme as all of an individual's personal information will be stored in one database where the possibility of corruption and exploitation of data is far greater than when having the information disbursed.
Risks that arise from this centralisation include possible errors in the collection of information, recording of inaccurate data, corruption of data from anonymous sources, and unauthorised access to or disclosure of personal information.Other countries with national identification systems have confronted numerous problems with similar risks such as trading and selling of information, and India, which has no generally established data protection laws such as the U.S. Federal Privacy Statute or the European Directive on Data Protection, is ill-equipped to deal with such problems. The centralised nature of data collection inherent in the MNIC proposal only heightens the risk of misuse of personal information and therefore potentially violates privacy rights. In consideration of the risks involved in the creation of a centralized database of personal information, it is imperative that such a programme not be established without the proper mechanisms to ensure the security of each individual's privacy rights. Unfortunately, India's proposed MNIC programme lacks any provision for judicial review at the present time. Without credible and independent oversight, there is a risk of 'mission creep' for MNICs; the government may add features and additional data to the MNIC database bureaucratically and reflexively, without reevaluating the effects on privacy in each instance. Implementation.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Rs.100 crore for Unique Identification Project", The Hindu, 17 February 2009, http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/17/stories/2009021756751000.htm, retrieved 2009-06-26, "... The Unique Identification Authority of India is being established under the aegis of the Planning Commission for which a notification has been issued in January 2009. A provision of Rs.100 crore has been made in the annual Plan 2009-10 for this ..."
- ^ a b c "Nilekani to give numbers, ministries to issue cards", The Economic Times, 16 July 2009, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Nilekani-to-give-numbers-ministries-to-issue-cards/articleshow/4782505.cms, retrieved 2009-07-18
- ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4812763.cms
- ^ "India gets Info czar in Nilekani", The Statesman, 25 June 2009, http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=258987, retrieved 2009-06-25, "... Nandan M Nilekani ... will be the chairman of the Unique Identification Database Authority of India under the aegis of the Planning Commission ... Mr Nilekani will have the rank and status of a Cabinet minister ..."
- ^ http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=49370
- ^ "India Undertakes Ambitious ID Card Plan", The New York Times, 25 June 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/world/asia/26india.html?ref=global-home, retrieved 2009-06-26, "... Policy makers see a national ID card as critical to improving the delivery of social services, subsidies and other government programs while also strengthening national security ... the majority of aid earmarked for the poor does not reach them, and it is hard for the government to detect embezzlement and misuse of funds ..."
- ^ "Nilekani first chief of Unique 'ID' project", The Assam Tribune, 25 June 2009, http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jun2609/at08, retrieved 2009-06-26, "... For long, national identity cards have been advocated to enhance national security, prevent potential terrorist attacks and stop illegal immigration, said officials ..."
- ^ a b "National ID card project", Indiatimes Infotech, 1 July 2009, http://infotech.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/4716195.cms, retrieved 2009-07-01, "... Some estimates suggest that the project will create at least an 100,000 additional jobs in the country in the next three years ... According to the plan, govt proposes to issue a unique identification number to all citizens by 2011 ..."
- ^ "ID'ing the masses may solve Indian identity crisis", Associated Press, 17 July 2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5in-4HjGNPD33PqF5WGPvx4m_jewQD99G25900, retrieved 2009-07-18, "... For long, national identity cards have been advocated to enhance national security, prevent potential terrorist attacks and stop illegal immigration, said officials ..."
- ^ "Nilekani may get EPFO database for UID project", Indian Express, 18 July 2009, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Nilekani-may-get-EPFO-database-for-UID-project/491049, retrieved 2009-07-18, "... "This is an opportunity for us to get ID cards for the subscribers of EPFO and ESI. We would like the EPFO subscribers to be first beneficiaries of the Unique Identity Card (UID) project," a senior Labour Ministry official told The Indian Express ..."
- ^ http://www.mydigitalfc.com/opportunities/miniature-uid-project-ap-002
- ^ "Citizen IDs to cost Rs 1.5 lakh crore", The Times of India, 26 June 2009, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Citizen-IDs-to-cost-Rs-15-lakh-crore/articleshow/4703794.cms, retrieved 2009-06-26, "... It is estimated that this gigantic and complex exercise will involve an expenditure of over Rs 1.5 lakh crore ..."
- ^ "इंफोसिस से विदा लेंगे नंदन नीलकेणि Nilekani will bid adieu to Infosys", OneIndia Hindi, 25 June 2009, http://thatshindi.oneindia.in/news/2009/06/25/nilekani-quits-infy-board.html, retrieved 2009-06-26, "... इस महत्वाकांक्षी प्रोजेक्ट पर करीब छह अरब डालर का ख़र्च होगा (this ambitious project will cost about $6 billion) ... नीलकेणि को कैबिनेट मंत्री का दर्ज़ा मिलेगा (Nilekani will receive the rank of a cabinet minister) ..."
[edit] See also
<a href=http://www.uidaicards.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/UID-deepesh_talajia@yahoo.com_.pdf>Deepesh_talajia@yahoo.com</a>
Multipurpose National Identity Card
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC) project is an initiative of the Indian government to create a national ID for every Indian citizen with the objective of increasing national security, managing citizen identity and facilitating e-governance.
The project was initiated under the Vajpayee, NDA government (circa 2002), which has since been continued by the present UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The project's importance was underscored by President Abdul Kalam in his 2006 Independence Day eve address to the nation.[1].
After remaining in hibernation for many months, the Government of India has finally issued a notification approving the set up of a National Authority for Unique Identity (NAUID) under the umbrella of the Planning Commission. The relevant press release can be accessed at this link - http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44711
The MNIC project is now integrated with the NAUID project.
An empowered group of ministers (EGOM) under the leadership of the external affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee approved the decision on Tuesday, 4 November 2008. The Department of Information Technology issued a press release confirming the development on Monday, 10 November 2008.
The necessity for a centrally issued ID is accentuated by the growing problems of illegal immigrants in various parts of the country. The ID is expected to serve as a unifying document to identify the citizens of India.
The events of 26 November in Mumbai have hastened the set up of the National Authority for Unique Identity. The body was set up on 28 January 2009[2]. The initial phase of the project is expected to cover nine States and four Union Territories. The UID will be issued to people living in the coastal villages of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal. The Union Territories of Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Andaman & Nicobar Islands shall also be covered in this first phase expected to deliver the identity cards by early 2010.
The Interim budget presented Mr. Pranab Mukherjee on the 16th February 2009 allocated Rs. 100 Crore towards the establishment of the National Authority of Unique Identity under the National Planning Commission. The government has earmarked Rs 100 crore to establish "a comprehensive system of unique identity for the resident population of the country".
"As part of this provision, the Unique Identification Authority of India is being established under the aegis of the Planning Commission," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee informed Parliament.
The big push happened after the UPA government was re-elected in May 2009. On 25 June 2009, the Manmohan Singh government approved creation of a position of Chairperson UID Authority of India in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister. Nandan Nilekani was appointed to this position. Nilekani brings with him the rich experience of creating and leading one of India's favourite home grown technology organisations, Infosys.
[edit] Objectives of the NAUID (MNIC) Project
- Obviate need for multiple documentary proof
- Facilitate easy verification
- Facilitate easy availing of government or private services
- Help welfare programmes reach intended beneficiaries
- Serve as basis for e-governance services
[edit] The ID shall also serve the following purposes
- To prepare a National Population Register (NPR)
- To prepare National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC)
- To prepare National Register of Residency (NRR) – for non-citizens
- To provide National Identity Number (NIN) to each person
- To provide Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) to each citizen
- To provide Multi-purpose Residency Card to non-citizens
[edit] Security, the First Mandate
The Group of Ministers recommendation on the MNIC states National Security as the raison d'être of the project.
Para 5.110 of the report of the GoM on Reforming the National Security System recommends:"Illegal migration has assumed serious proportions. There should be compulsory
registration of citizens and non-citizens living in India. This will facilitate
preparation of a national register of citizens. All citizens should be given a
Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) and non-citizens should be issued
identity cards of a different colour and design. This should be introduced
initially in the border districts or may be in a 20 km border belt and extended
to the hinterland progressively. The Central Government should meet the full cost
of the identity card scheme."
[edit] Scope of the Project
Every individual citizen of the country is expected to be provided with a UID by 2012.
The UID authority shall work closely with the National Population Register proposed to be created by the Home Ministry through the Registrar General of the Census of India concurrently with the census 2011 in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Citizenship Act.
The UID Authority approved by the EGOM will be responsible for creating and maintaining the core database and to lay down all necessary procedures for issuance and usage of UID including arrangements for collection, validation and authentication of information, proper security of data, rules for sharing and access to information, safeguards to ensure adequate protection of privacy and all aspects related to all of these issues.
[edit] Design of the Cards
The first few issued ID Cards look completely different from the prototype by the Vajpayee Government. The tricolor is missing. And there is less printed information on the card. [3]
image source: The Tribune (India)
[edit] Privacy Implications
There are many potential privacy fallouts of this project, not the least of which is triggered by the Government's official plan to link the databases together. The MNIC is also unconstitutional as it violates fundamental right to privacy. [4].
- The right to privacy of citizens will be greatly compromised if MNICs are made compulsory. Although there is sometimes a tension between individual privacy rights and national security, international law and India's domestic law expressly set a standard in tort law and through constitutional law to protect an individual's privacy from unlawful invasion. Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by India, an individual's right to privacy is protected from arbitrary or unlawful interference by the state. The Supreme Court also held the right to privacy to be implicit under article 21 of the
Indian Constitution in Rajgopal v. State of Tamil Nadu. Moreover, India has enacted a number of laws that provide some protection for privacy. For example the Hindu Marriage Act, the Copyright Act, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and the Code of Criminal Procedure all place restrictions on the release of personal information.
Privacy is a key concern with respect to the MNIC scheme as all of an individual's personal information will be stored in one database where the possibility of corruption and exploitation of data is far greater than when having the information disbursed. Risks that arise from this centralisation include possible errors in the collection of information, recording of inaccurate data, corruption of data from anonymous sources, and unauthorised access to or disclosure of personal information. Other countries with national identification systems have confronted numerous problems with similar risks such as trading and selling of information, and India, which has no generally established data protection laws such as the U.S. Federal Privacy Statute or the European Directive on Data Protection, is ill-equipped to deal with such problems. The centralised nature of data collection inherent in the MNIC proposal only heightens the risk of misuse of personal information and therefore potentially violates privacy rights.
In consideration of the risks involved in the creation of a centralised database of personal information, it is imperative that such a programme not be established without the proper mechanisms to ensure the security of each individual's privacy rights. Unfortunately, India's proposed MNIC programme lacks any provision for judicial review at the present time. Without credible and independent oversight, there is a risk of 'mission creep' for MNICs; the government may add features and additional data to the MNIC database bureaucratically and reflexively, without re-evaluating the effects on privacy in each instance. [1]
[edit] Implementation Status
The MNIC Project is currently in pilot mode in at least 12 states of India. While the exact status of the project is unknown, as of this writing on May 26, 2007, the project has kicked off a fresh round of card distribution to provide two million cards to people above 18 years in 13 districts across 12 States and the Union Territory of Puducherry[5].
Earlier plans and reports indicated that the project was in pilot, or was attempted in the following 20 selected sub-districts of 13 States and Union territories.
[edit] Legal amendments made to facilitate the project
The Citizenship Act, 1955, has been amended and now a specific section on registration of citizens & issuing cards has been included.
In addition the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 has been notified in the Government of India Gazette Vide GSR No. 937(E) dated:- 10 December, 2003.
Important amendments to the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955Section 14A
(1) The Central Government may compulsorily register every citizen
of India and issue national identity card to him.
(2) The Central Government may maintain a National Register of Indian
Citizens and for that purpose establish a National Registration Authority.
(3) On and from the date of commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003,
the Registrar General, India, appointed under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the
Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 shall act as the National Registration
Authority and he shall function as the Registrar General of Citizen Registration.
(4) The Central Government may appoint such other officers and staff as may be
required to assist the Registrar General of Citizen Registration in discharging
his functions and responsibilities.
(5) The procedure to be followed in compulsory registration of the citizens of
India shall be such as may be prescribed.
In sub-section(2) of section 18 (ia) has been inserted after clause (i)
the procedure to be followed in compulsory registration of the citizens of
India under sub-section (5) of section 14A;
In sub-section (3) of section 18 the following proviso has been inserted
"PROVIDED that any rule made in respect of a matter specified in clause
(ia) of sub-section (2) may provide that a breach thereof shall be punishable
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine
which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both".DDWDW
[edit] MNIC Technology
The MNIC is a smart card with 16KB of memory designed to be in line with the specifications laid out in ISO/IEC 7816 and SCOSTA. Earlier smart card applications of the Government of India have adapted the ISO/IEC 7816 specifications under the SCOSTA (Smart Card Operating System for Transport Applications)[6] program of the government of India. The cards are designed to support a minimum of 300,000 EEPROM write cycles and will retain data for at least 10 years (Source: Government Tender notice for card manufacturers, date unknown, see (Image:MNIC-tender.jpg) included in this page)
The official Government of India Press release that followed the media launch of the MNIC on 25 May 2007 describes the technology as follows:
The identity card being given to each individual citizen, has a micro processor chipwith a memory of 16 KB which is a secure card. Besides having several physical features
into the design of the card, it is the cyber security using 'asymmetric key cryptography'
and 'symmetric key cryptography' that has made the card secure against the risk of tempering (sic)
and cloning. The National Informatics Centre has made a major contribution towards
developing the processes for database management and smart card technology.
[edit] References
- National id as a restriction of rights
- Presentation on MNIC by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi2004
- Numbered Lives, Indian Express, August 20, 2006
- The ID-entity bogey, Indian Express, August 20, 2006
- After 33 months, 'count the dead', Indian Express, August 20, 2006
- 'Mother of I-cards': 5000-cr tag, Indian Express, January 13, 2003
- India's national ID scheme is 'on schedule', Himal 'South Asian', November 2005
- UPA takes forward NDA idea: National I-D card project rolls this March, 18 lakh in first lot, Indian Express, January 16, 2007
- MNIC Official site
- SCOSTA Official Site
[edit] See also
- Andaman & Nicobar Islander ID Cards status
- Official Website of UIDAI
- Unique Identification Authority of India
- UIDnumber.org -For promoting UID
| # | State | District | Sub-district |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assam | Karimganj | Patharkandi |
| Revenue Circle | |||
| 2 | Jammu and Kashmir | Kathua(All Tahsils) | Billawar Tahsil |
| Bashohli Tahsil | |||
| Kathua Tahsil | |||
| Hiranagar Tahsil | |||
| 3 | Gujarat | Kachchh | Lakhpat Taluka |
| 4 | Rajasthan | Jaisalmer | Jaisalmer Tahsil |
| 5 | Uttranchal | Pithoragarh | Pithoragarh Tahsil |
| 6 | Uttar Pradesh | Maharajganj | Nowtanva Tahsil |
| 7 | Tripura | West Tripura | Agartala East Tahsil |
| 1. (a) Agartala Sheet No.13-24 | |||
| Agartala West Tahsil | |||
| 1. (b) Agartala Sheet No.1-12 | |||
| Lankamura Tahsil | |||
| 1. Shingerbil | |||
| 2. Lankamura | |||
| Barjala Tahsil | |||
| 1. Ramnagar | |||
| 2. Barjala | |||
| Indiranagar Tahsil | |||
| 1. Indiranagar | |||
| 2. Kunjaban | |||
| 8 | West Bengal | Murshidabad | Murshidabad |
| Jiaganj CD Block | |||
| Murshidabad Municipality | |||
| 9 | Goa | North Goa | Tiswadi Taluka |
| 10 | Delhi | North West district | Narela Tahsil |
| Village Pooth Khurd(CT) | |||
| 11 | Pondicherry | Pondicherry | Karaikal sub-taluk |
| 12 | Andhra Pradesh | Medak | Narsapur Mandal |
| Hathnoora Mandal | |||
| Kowdipally Mandal | |||
| Shivampet Mandal | |||
| Jinnaram Mandal | |||
| 13 | Tamil Nadu | Ramanathapuram | Tiruvaadanai Taluk |
| 14 | Maharashtra | Pune |
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Technology News
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Internet
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Software
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General
- Saudi could play interlocutor's role in Indo-Pak tiesANI - Sun, Feb 28
Shashi Tharoor, India's junior foreign minister, who has accompanied Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his three-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, said India hopes that its relationship with Saudi Arabia will make it a good interlocutor between the South Asian rivals, India and Pakistan.
- Q+A - Can another Aquino become president of the Philippines?Reuters - Sun, Feb 28
REUTERS - Opposition senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, son of the Philippines' democracy heroine Corazon "Cory" Aquino, said he may consider raising taxes if elected if it was clear the budget gap was unlikely to be cut quickly.
- Tsunami waves hit Russia, no damage reportedReuters - Sun, Feb 28
Tsunami waves of up to 0.8 metres hit Russia's east coast on Sunday following a major earthquake in Chile, but no damage was reported.
- Russia's Kamchatka region lifts tsunami alertReuters - Sun, Feb 28
Authorities in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka region have lifted a tsunami alert after a series of small waves appeared to cause no damage, a spokeswoman for the Emergencies Ministry said.
- Tsunami waves of 0.8 metres hit Russia's east coastReuters - Sun, Feb 28
Tsunami waves of up to 0.8 metres (2 ft 7 in) hit the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's far east on Sunday following a major earthquake in Chile, the Sakhalin Tsunami Centre said.
US
- Chile quake toll 700 and countingIE - 05:22 AM
The massive earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday killed more than 700 people, President Michelle Bachelet said at a press conference in Santiago, even as rescue workers looked for survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings.
- Alexander HaigIE - 05:22 AM
Grant and Eisenhower aside, America is uneasy about handing civil power to soldiers; and from the very start of the Reagan administration, in 1981, there was nothing Al Haig could do to erase the impression that he wished to take over the country.
- Al Qaeda video shows bomber before strike at CIA menIANS - Sun, Feb 28
Cairo, Feb 28 (DPA) A Jordanian Al Qaeda double-agent who in December killed himself and seven CIA agents in a suicide attack in Afghanistan, blamed US and Israeli 'crimes' for his act, in a video aired on the al-Jazeera television network Sunday.
- N.Korea may return to six-party talks in March or AprilANI - Sun, Feb 28
Washington, Feb.28 (ANI): North Korea may return to nuclear disarmament talks in March or April, the Yonhap news agency said Sunday.
- Art model spends cold afternoon naked in front of window!ANI - Sun, Feb 28
New York, Feb 28 (ANI): Snowfall failed to tone down the enthusiasm of art model Megan Hanford who posed nude in a window of a West Village art throughout the afternoon.
Europe
- Briefly WorldIE - 05:22 AM
Fierce storms in Europe kill 51, mostly in France PARIS: A violent late winter storm with fierce rain and hurricane-strength winds ripped across western Europe on Sunday, battering France and four other countries, leaving at least 51 people dead.
- Chile quake toll rises to 708, emergency declaredIANS - 03:54 AM
Santiago, March 1 (DPA) Searchers scoured the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors Sunday as the toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Chile reached 708.
- 40 tons of dead fish removed off Brazilian coastIANS - 12:26 AM
Rio de Janeiro, March 1 (IANS/EFE) Up to 40 tons of fish, that died apparently due to lack of oxygen caused by excess growth of algae, was removed off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, authorities said.
- 46 killed as storm sweeps across EuropeIANS - Sun, Feb 28
Paris, Feb 28 (DPA) At least 46 people have died in a violent storm that swept across parts of Europe Saturday and Sunday.
- Storms kill 22 in France, three in SpainReuters - Sun, Feb 28
Storms swept through western Europe over the weekend, killing at least 22 people in France, three in Spain and one in Portugal, officials said.
Middle-East
- India, Saudi Arabia sign new Riyadh DeclarationIANS - 05:27 AM
Riyadh, March 1 (IANS) India and Saudi Arabia signed a new Riyadh Declaration here Sunday, the second day of the three-day visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to this Islamic Kingdom.
- Extradition treaty among series of Indo-Saudi pacts signedIANS - 04:18 AM
Riyadh, March 1 (IANS) A pathbreaking extradition treaty was among five agreements signed between India and Saudi Arabia in the presence of visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz here late Sunday night.
- Egyptian to face military trial over critical blogReuters - Sun, Feb 28
A blogger detained for writing a post critical of Egypt's armed forces will face trial in a military court this week, a Cairo-based rights group said on Sunday.
- Saudi Arabia lauds contributions of Indian expatsIANS - Sun, Feb 28
Riyadh, Feb 28 (IANS) The Saudi Arabian leadership Sunday lauded the contributions of 1.8-million strong expatriate Indian population to the development of their nation during the course of their engagements with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here.
- India supports Arab peace planIANS - Sun, Feb 28
Riyadh, Feb 28 (IANS) India Sunday expressed 'strong support' to a Saudi-proposed initiative aimed at ending the Arab-Israeli conflict.
International
- ANALYSIS - Earthquake to drag on Chile recession recoveryReuters - 12:58 AM
A devastating earthquake in Chile will set back the country's recovery from recession and put pressure on central bankers to keep interest rates low to help the economy.
- 100 trapped in collapsed Chile building- MayorReuters - Sun, Feb 28
Around 100 people are trapped under the rubble of a building that collapsed in the quake-hit city of Concepcion in south-central Chile, the mayor said on Sunday.
- It's raining fish in Lajamanu - literally!ANI - Sun, Feb 28
Melbourne, Feb 28 (ANI): Believe it or not, but a Territory town in Australia has witnessed fish raining from the sky twice this week.
- Terrorism 'waiting to strike' Australia's air security systemANI - Sun, Feb 28
Canberra, Feb. 28 (ANI): Aircraft and iconic public places in Australia are vulnerable to terror attacks, security experts have warned.
- Saudi Arabia can be an interlocutor with Pakistan: TharoorIANS - Sun, Feb 28
Riyadh, Feb 28 (IANS) Saudi Arabia, with its close ties with Islamabad, could be a 'valuable interlocutor' in improving India's ties with Pakistan, India's Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said here Sunday.
Asia
- Chile quake toll rises to 708IANS - 01:23 AM
Santiago, March 1 (IANS) The toll in the devastating earthquake in Chile has risen to 708, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said.
- Clinton headed for Chile after quakeReuters - 12:50 AM
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flies to Latin America on Sunday for a trip which includes a stop in quake-ravaged Chile and talks in Brazil over Iran's nuclear program.
- Iraqi Christians protest slayings, Pope concernedReuters - Sun, Feb 28
At least 1,000 minority Christians, many holding olive branches, marched in protest near the restive city of Mosul on Sunday to urge the Iraqi government to act decisively after a series of killings.
- Yemen arrests 21 in south, protests go onReuters - Sun, Feb 28
Separatists demonstrated in southern Yemen on Sunday after security forces arrested 21 people accused of rioting, residents and officials said.
- Hamas man was drugged before murder - Dubai policeReuters - Sun, Feb 28
The killers of a Hamas commander drugged him before suffocating him, Dubai police said on Sunday.Hamas military commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was killed last month in his hotel room in what Dubai police say they are almost certain was a hit by Israel's Mossad spy agency.
