Multipurpose National Identity Card (India)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is uncategorized.
Please help improve this article by adding it to one or more categories, so it may be associated with related articles (how?). Please remove this tag after categorizing. This article has been tagged since December 2006.

Ministry of Home Affairs prototype of the card

The Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC) project is an initiative of the Indian government to create a national ID for every Indian citizen with the objective of increasing national security, managing citizen identity and facilitating e-governance.

The project was initiated under the Vajpayee, NDA government (circa 2002), which has since been continued by the present UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The project's importance was underscored by President Abdul Kalam in his 2006 Independence Day eve address to the nation [1].

1 Objectives of the MNIC Project
2 Security, the First Mandate
3 Privacy Implications
4 Implementation Status
5 Legal amendments made to facilitate the project
6 References

[edit] Objectives of the MNIC Project

To prepare a National Population Register (NPR)
To prepare National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC)
To prepare National Register of Residency (NRR) – for non-citizens
To provide National Identity Number (NIN) to each person
To provide Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) to each citizen
To provide Multi-purpose Residency Card to non-citizens

[edit] Security, the First Mandate

The Group of Ministers recommendation on the MNIC states National Security as the raison d'être of the project.

Para 5.110 of the report of the GoM on Reforming the National Security System recommends:

“Illegal migration has assumed serious proportions.  There should be compulsory 
registration of citizens and non-citizens living in India.  This will facilitate 
preparation of a national register of citizens.  All citizens should be given a 
Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) and non-citizens should be issued 
identity cards of a different colour and design.  This should be introduced 
initially in the border districts or may be in a 20 km border belt and extended 
to the hinterland progressively.  The Central Government should meet the full cost 
of the identity card scheme.”

[edit] Privacy Implications

There are many potential privacy fallouts of this project, not the least of which is triggered by the Government's official plan to link the databases together [2].

Government proposal to link databases

[edit] Implementation Status

The MNIC Project is currently in pilot mode in 20 selected sub-districts of 13 States and Union territories - see below.

#	State	District	Sub-district
1	Assam	Karimganj	Patharkandi
			Revenue Circle
2	Jammu and Kashmir	Kathua(All Tahsils)	Billawar Tahsil
			Bashohli Tahsil
			Kathua Tahsil
			Hiranagar Tahsil
3	Gujarat	Kachchh	Lakhpat Taluka
4	Rajasthan	Jaisalmer	Jaisalmer Tahsil
5	Uttranchal	Pithoragarh	Pithoragarh Tahsil
6	Uttar Pradesh	Maharajganj	Nowtanva Tahsil
7	Tripura	West Tripura	Agartala East Tahsil
			1. (a) Agartala Sheet No.13-24
			Agartala West Tahsil
			1. (b) Agartala Sheet No.1-12
			Lankamura Tahsil
			1. Shingerbil
			2. Lankamura
			Barjala Tahsil
			1. Ramnagar
			2. Barjala
			Indiranagar Tahsil
			1. Indiranagar
			2. Kunjaban
8	West Bengal	Murshidabad	Murshidabad
			Jiaganj CD Block
			Murshidabad Municipality
9	Goa	North Goa	Tiswadi Taluka
10	Delhi	North West district	Narela Tahsil
			Village Pooth Khurd(CT)
11	Pondicherry	Pondicherry	Karaikal sub-taluk
12	Andhra Pradesh	Medak	Narsapur Mandal
			Hathnoora Mandal
			Kowdipally Mandal
			Shivampet Mandal
			Jinnaram Mandal
13	Tamil Nadu	Ramanathapuram	Tiruvadanai Taluk

[edit] Legal amendments made to facilitate the project

The Citizenship Act, 1955, has been amended and now a specific section on registration of citizens & issuing cards has been included.

In addition the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 has been notified in the Government of India Gazette Vide GSR No. 937(E) dated:- 10th December, 2003.

Important amendments to the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955

Section 14A
(1) The Central Government may compulsorily register every citizen 
    of India and issue national identity card to him.

(2) The Central Government may maintain a National Register of Indian 
    Citizens and for that purpose establish a National Registration Authority.

(3) On and from the date of commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003, 
    the Registrar General, India, appointed under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the 
    Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 shall act as the National Registration 
    Authority and he shall function as the Registrar General of Citizen Registration.

(4) The Central Government may appoint such other officers and staff as may be 
    required to assist the Registrar General of Citizen Registration in discharging 
    his functions and responsibilities.

(5) The procedure to be followed in compulsory registration of the citizens of 
    India shall be such as may be prescribed.


In sub-section(2) of section 18 (ia) has been inserted after clause (i) 
the procedure to be followed in compulsory registration of the citizens of 
India under sub-section (5) of section 14A;

In sub-section (3) of section 18 the following proviso has been inserted 
“PROVIDED that any rule made in respect of a matter specified in clause 
(ia) of sub-section (2) may provide that a breach thereof shall be punishable 
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine 
which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both”.