Sunday September 12th, 2010
As the government plans to formally start rolling out the Unique Identity numbers — Aadhaar — from later this month, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani has suggested that the government should go in for a comprehensive review of all the identification exercises by its various agencies working independently for different schemes, to “avoid duplication of efforts and expenditure”.
“It will not be out of place to mention that for most of the schemes that are already underway, the implementing agencies are preparing databases of beneficiaries, collecting biometrics, issuing identity numbers and smartcards. There are thus several identity initiatives being undertaken in silos and the databases are not integrated. A review of all such initiatives in the light of the availability of a national level unique identity number for every resident is therefore called for,” Nilekani has written to Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar recently. “It is also noticed that a number of schemes are adopting various standards of biometric collection for identification of beneficiaries. The use of Aadhaar number for identification and authentication can avoid duplication of efforts and expenditure.”