WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010
Nilekani's UIDs will 'aid illegal immigrants'
By Dinesh C Sharma, Mail Today, September 29, 2010
The Unique Identification Number (UID) scheme to be formally launched this week by the Prime Minister could prove to be a gateway for illegal migrants to settle in India, a Census expert has warned.
This is because the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) headed by Nandan Nilekani is using data collected by Census authorities to prepare the National Population Register (NPR) to create 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 will help illegal migrants get these IDs and will allow them access to government services and programmes. "They would be entitled to obtain Indian passport, register their names in the electoral rolls, obtain identity card issued by the Election Commission of India, get ration cards and open bank accounts. All this will make them eligible to contest elections at all levels, and even enter the police and armed forces," S. P. Sharma, the former deputy registrar general (Census and tabulations), said.
Nationality of individuals is one of the variables being recorded during the enumeration for the NPR. But the instruction to Census personnel says: "Nationality of each person has to be asked from the respondent and recorded as declared by her/ him." The officials have been asked to advise people "to give correct nationality" and that "she/ he can be penalised for giving incorrect/ false information".
According to Sharma, such advice may not work with illegal migrants. "They are unlikely to report their correct nationality and may get themselves listed as Indians," he said.
In Sharma's opinion, the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) should form the basis on which the UIDAI assigns UIDs because it should enlist only those persons whose nationality has been decided based on the provisions of The Citizenship Act, 1955. The names of those unable to prove they are citizens of India should remain in the NPR alone, he said.
The completed NPR schedules, along with photographs and fingerprints, will be displayed at prominent places for public scrutiny. If someone raises an objection, it will be enquired into by local revenue officials.
This record will then be used by UIDAI for assigning UIDs to all those registered in the NPR. A UIDAI official said: "We are not going to issue citizenship certificates. It is the duty of the government. We will only be assigning ID numbers based on data from the NPR. It will be for the state governments to authenticate and verify the information."
Posted by Dinesh C Sharma at 6:10 AM
Nilekani's UIDs will 'aid illegal immigrants'
By Dinesh C Sharma, Mail Today, September 29, 2010
The Unique Identification Number (UID) scheme to be formally launched this week by the Prime Minister could prove to be a gateway for illegal migrants to settle in India, a Census expert has warned.
This is because the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) headed by Nandan Nilekani is using data collected by Census authorities to prepare the National Population Register (NPR) to create 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 will help illegal migrants get these IDs and will allow them access to government services and programmes. "They would be entitled to obtain Indian passport, register their names in the electoral rolls, obtain identity card issued by the Election Commission of India, get ration cards and open bank accounts. All this will make them eligible to contest elections at all levels, and even enter the police and armed forces," S. P. Sharma, the former deputy registrar general (Census and tabulations), said.
Nationality of individuals is one of the variables being recorded during the enumeration for the NPR. But the instruction to Census personnel says: "Nationality of each person has to be asked from the respondent and recorded as declared by her/ him." The officials have been asked to advise people "to give correct nationality" and that "she/ he can be penalised for giving incorrect/ false information".
According to Sharma, such advice may not work with illegal migrants. "They are unlikely to report their correct nationality and may get themselves listed as Indians," he said.
In Sharma's opinion, the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) should form the basis on which the UIDAI assigns UIDs because it should enlist only those persons whose nationality has been decided based on the provisions of The Citizenship Act, 1955. The names of those unable to prove they are citizens of India should remain in the NPR alone, he said.
The completed NPR schedules, along with photographs and fingerprints, will be displayed at prominent places for public scrutiny. If someone raises an objection, it will be enquired into by local revenue officials.
This record will then be used by UIDAI for assigning UIDs to all those registered in the NPR. A UIDAI official said: "We are not going to issue citizenship certificates. It is the duty of the government. We will only be assigning ID numbers based on data from the NPR. It will be for the state governments to authenticate and verify the information."
Posted by Dinesh C Sharma at 6:10 AM
