Universal Identification (UID) number for citizens by 2010

The Government of India will provide a Unique Identity (UID) Number to every resident of the country that will remain as the sole tool for a variety of purposes, eliminating the need for multiple documentary proofs. For this, the government has approved the establishment of a Unique Identity Authority to carry this work forward.

The Authority set up under the Planning Commission aims to make available the UID by early 2010, said an official release. The initial proposal of Department of Information Technology was accorded at a meeting on November 4 by an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM), headed by the External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee.

India with over a billion plus population certainly needs an efficient identification system for many reasons: be it the security or for personal convenience. Presently in the absence of such a universal system, different sectors are using their own process of identification – such as PAN card, ration card, Electoral Photo Identity Card, credit cards, etc which are limited in use. But UID will facilitate easy availing of government or private services, banking and financial activities by serving as the permanent identification.

According to officials, the diversification of such a system renders it impossible to correlate information across sectors and even across institutions within the same sector for providing better services to people. Similarly, different agencies of government are unable to correlate their data relating to any particular individual.

One of the foremost benefits of this system would be to end the needless harassment that people face in accessing basic government facilities such as issuance of passport, bank account, voter ID card, driving licenses, etc.; citizens, then, only need to show the UID for easy verification in all cases.

It would also serve as the basis for many e-governance services incorporating online verification of a person’s identity. UID would enable government to ensure that benefits under various welfare programmes reach the intended beneficiaries, prevent cornering of benefits by a few people and minimize frauds. It would enable financial institutions to exchange information regarding defaulters and encourage responsible borrower behaviour.

Initially, it is aimed to cover all voters taking help of the current electoral data; however, later on it will be assigned to all those below 18 years of age who are not a part of the electoral list. In coordination with other government agencies, its accuracy and correctness will be verified and updated timely. Photographs and biometric data will also be added gradually to update information.