60 crore people to get UID numbers within 4 years

About 60 crore people would be issued Unique Identification (UID) numbers, to be called ‘Adhaar Numbers’, within the next four years and the numbers would not just be an instrument of identity, but an instrument of economic empowerment too.

The process of issuing UID numbers would be launched within a few weeks from multiple locations in the country. The numbers would play a key role in getting government services and targeted benefits of government welfare programmes, Nandan Nilekani, chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), said in Bangalore on Monday.

Launching the ‘Go India’ series of lectures being organised by the Forum for Revitalisation of Public Services, a collaborative venture of Income Tax, Customs and Excise departments, Nilekani said that the UID number would be made mandatory for opening bank account and buying a house or a mobile phone.

Explaining as to how the UID number project would empower the common man, Nilekani said, “About 94% of the villages in the country have no access to banking services. The UID project is developing micro ATMs to be installed in these villages and will appoint local agents to be called business correspondents.

The ATMs will be operated through village Kirana Store owners. These ATMs, with assistance from business correspondents, would provide instant money deposit and withdrawal facilities. Similarly, with UID numbers, it would be easy for the government to take special health schemes and food or fertiliser subsidies directly to the deserving beneficiaries.”

Nilekani asserted that the system would have fool-proof mechanism to ensure that there would be no scope for duplication of numbers or the same person getting more than one UID number as it would function on the basis of biometric proof of finger prints, image of iris and the photograph.

Dwelling on the challenge of allotting UIDs to about 100 crore people of the country, he said about 220 agencies had been empanelled for enrolling the people.

The agencies include banking institutions, educational institutions, telecom department and other institutions. “However the UID Authority of India would set the standard for work in this regard. It would also supply a standardised kit which would include the software, camera and finger-print reading equipment.”
Nilekani clarified that the UID number would not be a replacement for the PAN number.

He assured that adequate checks and balances had been incorporated to protect the privacy of the individuals. “We will strike a proper balance between national interest and privacy and security concerns,” he said.