A composed Nandan Nilekani entered his first-floor room in the Planning Commission office today, as he took charge as the chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI).
The former Infosys co-chairman is now in charge of providing a unique identification (UID) number to each of the country’s citizens. The first lot of numbers will be issued in the next 12-18 months and Nilekani emphasised that this system was only for the residents of India.
“We are working in close cooperation with partners like the oil ministry, oil marketing companies, passport offices and the finance ministry,” Nilekani told reporters. He added that while it was premature to say how many people would work with him, the nodal authority would only issue unique numbers, while partners would issue smart cards. “It is premature to say whether these cards will eliminate the need for other cards,” he added.
Nilekani, whose office will be in Yojana Bhavan, added that he would be able to provide details in a month’s time. However, the project needed support from the IT and telecom departments, he said.
The UID intends to enable identity using biometric capability like finger prints that would ensure people have a unique number. This would also help in creating a national verification process. It would create a national enrolment capability, as it would be a database of Indian citizens.