UIN

The Unique Identification Number (UIN) project is high on the government’s agenda, and has gained momentum with the appointment of Nandan Nilekani. Nilekani has said the aim is to provide a UIN to 600 million persons by 2012. Each UIN will be randomly assigned, and linked to a database with biometric information. Data will be stored in a central server, and authentication of residents will be online. The authority is supposed to network with major registers — the NREGA, PDS and Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) — to provide accurate information of beneficiaries and nip fraudulent claims.

It has also been argued that once the UINs are rolled out, internal security will improve. Indeed, the government has been worried about illegal migration and infiltration for a while; it considered compulsory registration of citizens and non-citizens living in India to prepare a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC), the handing out to citizens of a Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) (with non-citizens receiving a card of different colour and design). With this in view, the MNIC pilot project was undertaken by the office of the Registrar-General (RGI) and Census Commissioner under the home ministry during 2003-2008 in selected areas of 13 states or Union territories, covering 28 lakh people in 2,175 villages and 19 towns costing, reportedly, Rs 30 crore.