Soon Indians will have a Unique Identity!

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Department of Information Technology announced on Monday that an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM) headed by the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherji has approved the establishment of a Unique Identity Authority for all residents of the country.

The UID Authority will be set up under the Planning Commission. The approval was accorded at a meeting of the EGOM held on November 4, 2008, said a press release.

Union Home Minister and Ministers for IT and Communications, Law and Panchayati Raj are members of the EGOM while the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission is a standing invitee.

The approval by the EGOM lays the foundation for the implementation of a unique identity system for all residents in the country based on a proposal formulated by the Department of Information Technology at the request of the Planning Commission.

The proposed system envisages collaboration among several government agencies backed by intensive use of information technology.

There has been a long-felt need in the country for a system of unique identification of every individual for a variety of purposes such as better targeting of government’s development schemes, regulatory purposes (including taxation and licensing), security purposes, banking and financial sector activities, etc.

The Unique Identity Project seeks to assign a unique identity (UID) number to each individual in the country that would remain a permanent identifier right from birth to death of the individual. From the point of view of any person in the country, the UID offers many benefits, the release said.

First and foremost, it would obviate the need for a person to produce multiple documentary proofs of his identity for availing of any government service, or private services like opening of a bank account, etc.

This would end needless harassment that people face for availing of basic government services like issuance of passports, driving licences, Electoral Identity Cards, etc.

Backed by intensive use of technology, it would greatly facilitate easy verification of a person’s identity and enable a single communication to trigger address changes in all relevant agencies records.

It would also serve as the basis for many e-governance services incorporating online verification of a person’s identity.

The scheme envisages that at the inception, the UID number will be assigned to all voters by building on current electoral roll data and progressively adding other persons including persons below 18 years of age who are not a part of the voters list in the country.

The UID is expected to become available to an initial set of users one year thereafter, by early 2010. Over a period of time, the UID is expected to become the single universal identification mechanism across all institutions of the government and the private sector in the country.