Process of issuing IDs to citizens set in motion
PTI
NEW DELHI, JAN 27
Beginning a gigantic task of providing a unique identity to every Indian, the government today notified setting up of a national authority that will ensure that each of its over one billion citizens carry a permanent identifier from birth to death.
The project, which would cover even children, is aimed at establishing citizenship, reducing identity related frauds, addressing security issues and preventing leakages in different government schemes, sources said.
The identification number will be provided by the National Authority for Unique Identify (UID), an entity under the Planning Commission. It will work in coordination with the National Population Register of the Home Ministry through the Registrar General of the Census, in accordance with the Indian Citizenship Act.
The authority will work in cooperation with the similar bodies being set up at the State level, authoritative sources told PTI.
In the beginning, the UID number will be assigned to all voters by building on current electoral roll data.
Progressively, other persons including those below 18 years of age will be added to the list.
Photographs and biometric data will be added to make the identification foolproof, sources said, adding easy registration and information change procedures are also being envisaged for the benefit of the people.
The UID Authority will be responsible for creating and maintaining the core database.
Process of issuing IDs to citizens set in motion
NEW DELHI, JAN 27 Beginning a gigantic task of providing a unique identity to every Indian, the government today notified setting up of a national authority that will ensure that each of its over one billion citizens carry a permanent identifier from birth to death.
