THURSDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2011 23:39
PNS | NEW DELHI HITS: 298
In what could put a spanner in the ambitious ongoing Unique Identification (UID) project, it’s none other than Home Minister P Chidambaram who has raised security concerns over the biometric census (billed Aadhaar) and called for an immediate meeting of the Cabinet Committee to discuss the issue.
“The possibility of fake identity profile in the UID data is real,” Chidambaram said in the recent letter to Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission.
Chidambaram’s objections come even as the Registrar General and Census Commissioner have already objected to the project saying the task was their prerogative. The Registrar General has contended that Nilekani’s department can be an issuance authority of the UID number but the job of collecting biometric data should be left to his office.
Nandan Nilekani heads the UID project aimed at providing identification to each resident across the country which would be used primarily as the basis for efficient delivery of welfare services.
Chidamabaram said that the matter should be taken to Cabinet panel immediately.
The Home Ministry claimed the UID can be generated by producing documents without any verification.
Nilekani said that UIDAI data is collected as per approved procedures. “As far as the enrollment of residents is concerned, the UIDAI follows three methods (approved by Demographics Standards and Verification Procedure Committee) for collecting data: Document based, Introducer based as well as the NPR process. This data (both demographic and Biometric) is the basis on which the unique Aadhaar number is issued,” Nilekani said in his letter to media.
Aadhaar has so far generated 12 crore UID numbers with a budget of Rs 470 crore. It is authorised to create UIDs for 20 crore people
“The possibility of fake identity profile in the UID data is real,” Chidambaram said in the recent letter to Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission.
Chidambaram’s objections come even as the Registrar General and Census Commissioner have already objected to the project saying the task was their prerogative. The Registrar General has contended that Nilekani’s department can be an issuance authority of the UID number but the job of collecting biometric data should be left to his office.
Nandan Nilekani heads the UID project aimed at providing identification to each resident across the country which would be used primarily as the basis for efficient delivery of welfare services.
Chidamabaram said that the matter should be taken to Cabinet panel immediately.
The Home Ministry claimed the UID can be generated by producing documents without any verification.
Nilekani said that UIDAI data is collected as per approved procedures. “As far as the enrollment of residents is concerned, the UIDAI follows three methods (approved by Demographics Standards and Verification Procedure Committee) for collecting data: Document based, Introducer based as well as the NPR process. This data (both demographic and Biometric) is the basis on which the unique Aadhaar number is issued,” Nilekani said in his letter to media.
Aadhaar has so far generated 12 crore UID numbers with a budget of Rs 470 crore. It is authorised to create UIDs for 20 crore people