| Unique Identification Authority of India(UID) | |
|---|---|
| भारतीय विशिष्ट पहचान प्राधिकरण | |
| UIDAI (Aadhaar UIDAI new logo) | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | February 2009 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of India (Union Government) |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Annual budget | 3,000 crore (US$570 million) (2010) |
| Agency executives | Nandan Nilekani, Chairman Ram Sewak Sharma, Director General and Mission Director |
| Website | |
| uidai.gov.in | |
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The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) (Hindi: भारतीय विशिष्ट पहचान प्राधिकरण), is an agency of the Government of India responsible for implementing the AADHAAR scheme, a unique identification project. It was established in February 2009, and will own and operate the Unique Identification Number database.[1] The authority aims to provide a unique id number to all Indians, but not smart cards.[2] The authority will maintain a database of residents containing biometric and other data.[3]
The agency is headed by a chairman, who holds a cabinet rank. The UIDAI is part of the Planning Commission of India.[1][4] Nandan Nilekani, former co-chairman of Infosys Technologies, was appointed as the first Chairman of the authority in June 2009.[5] Ram Sewak Sharma, an IAS Officer of Jharkhand Government is the Director General and Mission Director of the Authority.[6]
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Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique number which the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will issue for all residents in India. The number will be stored in a centralized database and linked to the basic demographics and biometric information – photograph, ten fingerprints and iris – of each individual.It is easily verifiable in an online, cost-effective way. So also, it is unique and robust enough to eliminate the large number of duplicate and fake identities in government and private databases The random number generated will be devoid of any classification based on caste, creed, religion and geography.[7]
UIDAI launched AADHAAR program in the tribal village, Tembhli, in Shahada,[8][9] Nandurbar, Maharashtra on 29 September 2010. The program was inaugurated by Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.[10] The first resident to receive an AADHAAR was Rajana Sonawane of Tembhli village.[11]
It is believed that Unique National IDs will help address the rigged state elections and widespread embezzlement that affects subsidies and poverty alleviation programs such as NREGA.[12] Addressing illegal immigration into India and terrorist threats is another goal of the program.[13]
Most reports suggest that the plan is for each Indian citizen to have a unique identification number with associated identifying biometric data and photographs by 2011.[14] However, other reports claim that obtaining a unique number would be voluntary, but those that opt to stay out of the system "will find it very inconvenient: they will not have access to facilities that require you to cite your ID number."[2]
Government distributed benefits are fragmented by purpose and region in India, which results in widespread bribery, denial of public services and loss of income, especially afflicting poor citizens.[15] As the unique identity database comes into existence, the various identity databases (voter ID, passports, ration cards, licenses, fishing permits, border area id cards) that already exist in India are planned to be linked to it.[2] The Authority is liaising with various national, state and local government entities to begin this process. The Union Labor Ministry has offered its verified Employment Provident Fund (EPFO) database of 42 million citizens as the first database to be integrated into the unique ID system.[16]
The UID will link a person's Passport Number, Driving License, PAN card, Bank Accounts, Address, Voter ID, etc. and all this information will be checked through a database. So, for example, if someone has different addresses on PAN and driving license, that person is liable to get caught. Those who will opt out of this program will have much inconvenience in doing business, operating bank accounts and other offices which will require a UID.
UIDAI has headquarters in Delhi and a technology centre in Bangalore. It also has 8 regional offices in Chandigarh, Delhi, Lucknow, Ranchi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.[17]
UID project is known as AADHAAR meaning 'support' or 'foundation', and its logo is a yellow sun with a fingerprint embedded in its centre. The logo was designed by Atul Sudhakar Rao Pande.[18]
One estimate of the cost to completely roll-out National IDs to all Indian residents above the age of 18 has been placed at 150,000 crore (US$28.5 billion).[19] A different estimate puts it at US$ 6 billion.[20] A sum of 100 crore (US$19 million) was approved in the 2009-2010 union budget to fund the agency for its first year of existence.[1] UID has received a huge boost with Dr Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Finance, allocating 1,900 crore (US$361 million) to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for 2010-11.
Initial estimates project that the initiative will create 100,000 new jobs in the country, and business opportunities worth 6,500 crore (US$1.24 billion) in the first phase [14] of implementation, over three years.
Details are available at http://uidai.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=148&Itemid=41 In Kerala Palakkad Akshya egovernance Kendras are now carrying out data collection., and registration of biometrics will follow later. Karvy is the business partner for UIDAI. In some other states Karvy is taking online reservation of enrollment slots by collecting data in advance and providing an appointment. Details for online registration are available at http://uid.karvy.com/bookmyslot/.
According to the UIDAI Model, Aadhaar is dependent on biometrics being reliable enough to guarantee that there is a one-to-one correspondence between real people and electronic identities on the CIDR (central ID repository).
In December 2010, UIDAI published the report on their proof of concept trial designed to test, among other things, whether biometrics are reliable enough to guarantee that every entry on the CIDR is unique. UIDAI's figures published show error rate at .01% using finger print and iris only, this low rate combined with photograph match can achieve the desired unique identification. There have been concerns expressed in some quarters that the biometrics data is not reliable enough, and that Aadhaar might drown in a sea of false positives.
Earlier, in March 2010, three academics published a paper, Fundamental issues in biometric performance testing: A modern statistical and philosophical framework for uncertainty assessment arguing that the level of uncertainty in biometrics is so great that tests tell you nothing, they cannot be used to predict how well biometrics technology will perform in the real world. One of them, Antonio Possolo, is head of the statistical engineering division at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an organisation that has advised UIDAI in the past. On this occasion, UIDAI has not followed NIST's advice.
With its academic support now withdrawn, the outlook for the global mass consumer biometrics industry has darkened, Throwing the towel in. At the same time, governments elsewhere are abandoning ship. NSTIC, the US National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace makes no mention of using biometrics. Neither does IdA, the UK plan for digital delivery identity assurance. And Holland has suspended its plan to develop a centralised population register including everyone's biometrics. India may find itself the last adherent of this receding faith. Here's a detailed article about how the implementation is proceeding.
UIDAI is using data collected by the Census authorities to prepare the National Population Register(NPR) for creating the UIDs. The NPR is not an exclusive database of Indian Citizens. It contains data on all residents of the country including foreigners. Therefore, issuing UIDs based on the data in the NPR would help illegal migrants get these IDs and would allow them access the government services and programs. Nationality of the individual is one of the variables being recorded during the enumeration of NPR. But the instruction to the Census personnel says:"Nationality of each person has to be asked from the respondent and recorded as declared by him". The officials have been asked to advise people to give correct nationality and that he/she can be penalized for giving false information. Such advise may not work with illegal migrants. The responsibility of proving the identity still lies on the shoulders of residents and not on UIDAI.[21][22]
Certain activist have expressed concerns[23] that Aadhaar has potentials for civil liberty and privacy violations,[24] especially when registrars include non-government agencies.[25]
The former chief minister of Kerala, V. S. Achuthanandan claimed in July 2011 that the program was being launched without "proper debate" in parliament.[26] Other activists have expressed similar concerns.[27] In a letter to the Prime Minister in November 2011, home minister P. Chidambaram has also expressed discomfort about the fact that the project has no cabinet clearance, and hence, may be questioned at a later date.[28].
On 17 December 2011 parliamentary standing committee on finance chaired by Yashwant Sinha “…the Committee categorically convey their unacceptability of the National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010…The Committee would, thus, urge the Government to reconsider and review the UID scheme.…”
This was the conclusion of Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance (SCoF), which examined the Bill to convert the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) into a statutory authority. With this categorical rebuff, the SCoF dealt a body blow to the Aadhaar project, which is being implemented from September 2010 without Parliament's approval.[29].
The projected costs of the Aadhaar project have been quoted between US$6 billion and US$30.42 billion. These costs may not be covered by future revenue produced from the project, which is estimated at US$1.32 billion.
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