Biometric Marker to be finalized shortly: Nandan Nilekani
The former Infosys co-chairman and Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Nandan Nilekani yesterday said, two committees on biometrics and standardization of data processes have been formed as part of the UID project. Their reports are anticipated to be out in 2 months. He said, “in the process of deciding on the biometric attributes it plans to use for identifying citizens.”
Mr. Nilekani said the UIDAI’s biometrics committee would decide soon whether to use fingerprints, iris recognition “or a combination of other physiological attributes that will provide an individual’s biometric signature.”
A manual on how to have an organization/agency/company’s infrastructure ready for UID system will be published in 6 months, he added. UIDAI is also in the procedure of constituting a consultant to help create a RFP to choose a managed services provider.
Mr. Nilekani said the UID would be a “number, not a card.” The Authority was “committed” to issuing the first UID within 12-18 months from August 12, 2009 when the UIDAI held its first meeting. It is expected to “roll out” 600 million UIDs within six years from that date. “Full coverage of the population may take longer.”
Every biometric signature would be equated at the time of entry with every other existing entry in the UIDAI’s “centralised database” to check its authenticity. Nevertheless, Mr. Nilekani admonished that the process of verification had to be “considerate and sensitive, taking into account the reality that many poor people do not have documentation to back their claims to an identity.” An open-access platform would enable “online authentication” of entries in the database.
A large number of people “have no means of proving their identity.” The UID was “only an instrument.” Although it “guarantees an identity, it does not guarantee entitlements to people. Having an identity is the first step for a citizen to avail of benefits from the state.” This, he said, could be used to “promote inclusive growth.”
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