Gandhinagar: At a time when the whole country is excited to take on the challenge of the Unique Identification (UID) project, Gujarat has plans that go beyond just getting the number for identification of its citizens. The state is thinking about its applications simultaneously - with great emphasis on interaction between data mining agencies.
Incidentally, Gujarat is the first state in the country which is planning in this direction. While other states have started registering their citizens under 'Aadhaar' - as the project is named - none are looking at how to use the data collected for different government schemes.
"For instance, the agencies that register for ration cards or BPL cards do not talk to each other, exchange or verify their respective data. But with the UID, which is only a number, not a card, Gujarat is aiming to create a system where several of these various agencies that mine citizens' information will interact on one platform," a senior official in the state government said.
This interaction will happen in a data centre to be housed in Gandhinagar. UID project chairman Nandan Nilekani met with chief minister Narendra Modi on Monday to pledge his support for this first of its kind centre in Gandhinagar.
Additionally, a national level workshop will be held in the state next month to debate and brainstorm on the learning and mistakes of other states that have already started enrolling their citizens in the UID.
"The unique number will be the key to identify that the person is who he claims to be. Beyond that, how to use this number for various schemes to benefit the poor is not within the purview of the UID project; it has to be devised by the states. Gujarat is going to be the pilot state in the country where this progression of brainstorming on utilising the UID will happen at the same time as the citizens are being registered for the card," the official said.
UID registration will begin in Gujarat next month and conclude by March 2012. The duty of registering the details of citizens is going to be outsourced to professional agencies, in addition to government agencies like banks, insurance companies etc.
"But government agencies can register those who already have some form of identification - like the PAN card, election card etc. The heart of this project is to reach out and give identity to the rural and urban poor who have no other form of identity," the official said. A massive awareness campaign at village level will be initiated.
Incidentally, Gujarat is the first state in the country which is planning in this direction. While other states have started registering their citizens under 'Aadhaar' - as the project is named - none are looking at how to use the data collected for different government schemes.
"For instance, the agencies that register for ration cards or BPL cards do not talk to each other, exchange or verify their respective data. But with the UID, which is only a number, not a card, Gujarat is aiming to create a system where several of these various agencies that mine citizens' information will interact on one platform," a senior official in the state government said.
This interaction will happen in a data centre to be housed in Gandhinagar. UID project chairman Nandan Nilekani met with chief minister Narendra Modi on Monday to pledge his support for this first of its kind centre in Gandhinagar.
Additionally, a national level workshop will be held in the state next month to debate and brainstorm on the learning and mistakes of other states that have already started enrolling their citizens in the UID.
"The unique number will be the key to identify that the person is who he claims to be. Beyond that, how to use this number for various schemes to benefit the poor is not within the purview of the UID project; it has to be devised by the states. Gujarat is going to be the pilot state in the country where this progression of brainstorming on utilising the UID will happen at the same time as the citizens are being registered for the card," the official said.
UID registration will begin in Gujarat next month and conclude by March 2012. The duty of registering the details of citizens is going to be outsourced to professional agencies, in addition to government agencies like banks, insurance companies etc.
"But government agencies can register those who already have some form of identification - like the PAN card, election card etc. The heart of this project is to reach out and give identity to the rural and urban poor who have no other form of identity," the official said. A massive awareness campaign at village level will be initiated.