OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, Jan. 25: The Planning Commission and the home ministry appeared headed for a compromise on the unique identity project after the Prime Minister stepped in today to end the smart card versus identity number battle.
Sources said Nandan Nilekani, who is chairing the unique identification authority, would be given a free run and the home ministry would be allowed to continue its work even if it means some duplication
“The overall message is that Nilekani’s project will not be stymied. The home ministry can continue its work but it would not be at the cost of the project of Nilekani, who was invited to lead the scheme,” a source said. The source added that the Prime Minister stressed this point.
The understanding seems to have been reached at an “informal” meeting Manmohan Singh held with several senior colleagues to resolve differences over security concerns, costs, authenticity of data and duplication.
“I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects (unique identity number and the National Population Register) can proceed together without any difficulty,” plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said after the meeting.
“The cabinet committee (meeting on extending the Unique Identification Authority of India) was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting.”
Ahluwalia conceded there were “different” views at the meeting but appeared optimistic about a resolution. “We are moving towards a very satisfactory conclusion.... I think there is agreement that… ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue. I will send the supplementary note (to the cabinet),” he said.
Others who attended today’s “informal” gathering were Nilekani, home minister P. Chidambaram, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and national security adviser Shivshankar Menon.
The controversy is over collecting bio-metric data, which include fingerprinting and scanning of iris. While the Planning Commission’s unique identification authority has been collecting the data from resident Indians, the registrar general and census commissioner, under the home ministry, has been collecting similar information for its national population register (NPR).
The registrar general has the mandate to collect data for 1.2 billion people to be included in the NPR. This includes registration of residents above 18 and giving them smart or resident cards with electronically stored personal data.
Nilekani’s UIDAI has the mandate to collect biometric data of 20 crore people, of whom 17 crore have been covered, for the unique identity numbers, called Aadhaar. It now needs an extension, which Chidambaram’s home ministry has been opposing.
Ahluwalia had recently said Aadhaar was a more practical option when it comes to electronic transfer of benefits to the rural poor. The smart card, he pointed out, would need a reader while the identity number could be used “even through” mobile phones.
The home ministry has two major arguments: security of data and costs. The ministry feels the data collected by the UIDAI is not secure as the information is gathered by hired organisations.
On expenses, sources in the Registrar General of India (RGI) said the average cost per head for biometric collection by the UIDAI was around Rs 50. “When we collect it comes to an average of about Rs 28,” said a source. “So you calculate: for a billion people the cost of biometrics is Rs 50 billion.”
However, the UID project, which started after the smart card project, is likely to complete its mandate of 20 crore numbers before the March 31 deadline.
Till now, the home ministry has prepared 5 lakh resident cards after collecting biometric data of 10 million people.
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Thursday, January 26, 2012
2286 - Some ground covered, PM Manmohan Singh to fix UIDAI mandate tomorrow - Economic Times
26 JAN, 2012, 03.55AM IST, ET BUREAU
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on Wednesday to settle the differences between theHome Ministry and the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI).
The Home Ministry had raised concerns on allowingUIDAI to extend its coverage from 200 million to 1.2 billion people as the ongoing census is also capturing biometric information.The Home Ministry had raised concerns on allowing UIDAI to extend its coverage from 200 million to 1.2 billion people as the ongoing census is also capturing biometric information.
The cabinet committee on UIDAI will meet on January 27 to take a final call on the issue. Earlier, the meeting was slated for Wednesday but had to be deferred as Singh wanted more discussions with the Home Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Planning commission over the issue.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty... the Cabinet Committee (on UIDAI) was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said after the meeting.
Besides Ahluwalia, the meeting was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani, and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon.
"We are moving towards a satisfactory conclusion. There were different views... We reviewed different issues," Ahluwalia said, adding the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
"I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid duplication. That was the key issue. I will send the supplementary note (to Cabinet)," he added.
Home ministry, which is conducting the NPR exercise through the Registrar General of India, has raised issues of cost duplication incase UIDAI's mandate was extended.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on Wednesday to settle the differences between theHome Ministry and the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI).
The Home Ministry had raised concerns on allowingUIDAI to extend its coverage from 200 million to 1.2 billion people as the ongoing census is also capturing biometric information.The Home Ministry had raised concerns on allowing UIDAI to extend its coverage from 200 million to 1.2 billion people as the ongoing census is also capturing biometric information.
The cabinet committee on UIDAI will meet on January 27 to take a final call on the issue. Earlier, the meeting was slated for Wednesday but had to be deferred as Singh wanted more discussions with the Home Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Planning commission over the issue.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty... the Cabinet Committee (on UIDAI) was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said after the meeting.
Besides Ahluwalia, the meeting was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani, and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon.
"We are moving towards a satisfactory conclusion. There were different views... We reviewed different issues," Ahluwalia said, adding the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
"I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid duplication. That was the key issue. I will send the supplementary note (to Cabinet)," he added.
Home ministry, which is conducting the NPR exercise through the Registrar General of India, has raised issues of cost duplication incase UIDAI's mandate was extended.
2285 - UID and NPR may be given go ahead by PM even with some overlap - Economic Times
26 JAN, 2012, 03.31AM IST, BHARTI JAIN,ET BUREAU
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday stepped in to reconcile differences between the home ministry and the Planning Commission over collection of biometrics for the UID and the National Population Register (NPR) projects.
After the meeting, there were clear indication that the two schemes will be given the go ahead even with some overlap.
Mr Singh, who held a meeting with finance ministerPranab Mukherjee, home minister P Chidambaram, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, UIDAI chief Nandan Nilekani and NSA Shivshankar Menon, directed the Planning Commission to prepare a revised note for the Cabinet on how to avoid duplication in the two schemes.
Sources said a slight overlap may be unavoidable between NPR and UID projects. "I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue," Ahluwalia said after the meeting.
The Cabinet committee on UID is now expected to meet on Friday to clear the proposal to extend the mandate of the Nandan Nilekani-led organisation to cover the entire 1.12 billion population of the country. "I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty," said Ahluwalia.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday stepped in to reconcile differences between the home ministry and the Planning Commission over collection of biometrics for the UID and the National Population Register (NPR) projects.
After the meeting, there were clear indication that the two schemes will be given the go ahead even with some overlap.
Mr Singh, who held a meeting with finance ministerPranab Mukherjee, home minister P Chidambaram, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, UIDAI chief Nandan Nilekani and NSA Shivshankar Menon, directed the Planning Commission to prepare a revised note for the Cabinet on how to avoid duplication in the two schemes.
Sources said a slight overlap may be unavoidable between NPR and UID projects. "I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue," Ahluwalia said after the meeting.
The Cabinet committee on UID is now expected to meet on Friday to clear the proposal to extend the mandate of the Nandan Nilekani-led organisation to cover the entire 1.12 billion population of the country. "I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty," said Ahluwalia.
2284 - Setback for Planning Commission as Singh bats for UID - Daily Mail UK
By MAIL TODAY REPORTER
Last updated at 10:40 AM on 26th January 2012
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has intervened to end the clash between the home ministry and the Planning Commission over the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) and its much-hyped Aadhaar scheme.
The PM convened an 'informal' meeting of senior ministers and government functionaries on Wednesday to find a way out as both home minister P. Chidambaram and plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had refused to budge from their stand.
The home ministry had objected to the collection of biometric data by the UIDAI, headed by Nandan Nilekani, contending that the task came under its domain for its National Population Register (NPR) project.
The UIDAI counters that and has Ahluwalia's firm backing. Sources said at the meeting, it was decided to brief the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI on 'various ways' to settle the dispute.
The PM wants continuation of the Aadhaar scheme, though the home ministry and Parliament's committee on finance have expressed concerns over several aspects of the UID project.
The meeting was attended by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, apart from Chidambaram, Nilekani and Ahluwalia.
Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram pictured left objects to the UID project being pushed forward by the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission for India Montek Singh Ahluwalia pictured right
The meeting informally decided to continue with both the projects. The suggestions emerged will be sent to the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI, which is expected to meet on Friday.
'I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty.
'The Cabinet Committee on UIDAI was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting,' Ahluwalia said after the twohour- long meeting. Ahluwalia expressed satisfaction at the developments.
'We are moving towards very satisfactory conclusion. There were different views. We reviewed different issues,' he said.
He added that the home ministry's NPR project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
'I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication.
'That was the key issue. I will sent the supplementary note to Cabinet,' he added.
The home ministry has been pointing out that since the NPR being prepared by it has been collecting biometrics of citizens, the UIDAI's efforts will be a duplication.
The ministry had presented its views on this issue before the standing committee on finance.
Raising questions over the collection of biometric data by the UIDAI, the home secretary had recently written to the cabinet secretary that the matter be taken to the Cabinet at the earliest for a clear cut direction on both the schemes.
The home ministry has already prepared five lakh resident identity cards after collecting biometrics of one crore people in coastal villages of nine states and four Union territories as part of the initial phase of the NPR project.
Under the Aadhaar scheme, about 20 crore residents will get UID numbers in the first phase.
Last updated at 10:40 AM on 26th January 2012
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has intervened to end the clash between the home ministry and the Planning Commission over the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) and its much-hyped Aadhaar scheme.
The PM convened an 'informal' meeting of senior ministers and government functionaries on Wednesday to find a way out as both home minister P. Chidambaram and plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had refused to budge from their stand.
The home ministry had objected to the collection of biometric data by the UIDAI, headed by Nandan Nilekani, contending that the task came under its domain for its National Population Register (NPR) project.
The UIDAI counters that and has Ahluwalia's firm backing. Sources said at the meeting, it was decided to brief the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI on 'various ways' to settle the dispute.
The PM wants continuation of the Aadhaar scheme, though the home ministry and Parliament's committee on finance have expressed concerns over several aspects of the UID project.
The meeting was attended by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, apart from Chidambaram, Nilekani and Ahluwalia.
Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram pictured left objects to the UID project being pushed forward by the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission for India Montek Singh Ahluwalia pictured right
The meeting informally decided to continue with both the projects. The suggestions emerged will be sent to the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI, which is expected to meet on Friday.
'I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty.
'The Cabinet Committee on UIDAI was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting,' Ahluwalia said after the twohour- long meeting. Ahluwalia expressed satisfaction at the developments.
'We are moving towards very satisfactory conclusion. There were different views. We reviewed different issues,' he said.
He added that the home ministry's NPR project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
'I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication.
'That was the key issue. I will sent the supplementary note to Cabinet,' he added.
The home ministry has been pointing out that since the NPR being prepared by it has been collecting biometrics of citizens, the UIDAI's efforts will be a duplication.
The ministry had presented its views on this issue before the standing committee on finance.
The home ministry has already prepared five lakh resident identity cards after collecting biometrics of one crore people in coastal villages of nine states and four Union territories as part of the initial phase of the NPR project.
Under the Aadhaar scheme, about 20 crore residents will get UID numbers in the first phase.
2283 - Compromise: Home could use UID data - Indian Express
Anubhuti Vishnoi : New Delhi, Thu Jan 26 2012, 01:16 hrs
In a compromise formula worked out at an informal meeting today, it has been proposed that the biometrics collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) would be accepted by the home ministry-backed National Population Register (NPR), and the two teams would work at their own pace with minimum duplication of biometric data.
A final decision will be taken on Friday when the cabinet committee on UID meets to discuss a supplementary cabinet note that details the compromise formula.
UIDAI and the home ministry have been jousting over the collection of biometrics for their respective projects. The MHA had reservations about the data collection methods used by the UIDAI. The Authority has already enrolled 170 million residents.
“The cabinet will take a final decision on Friday. A reasonable level of consensus has been arrived at the informal meeting,” plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said.
In a compromise formula worked out at an informal meeting today, it has been proposed that the biometrics collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) would be accepted by the home ministry-backed National Population Register (NPR), and the two teams would work at their own pace with minimum duplication of biometric data.
A final decision will be taken on Friday when the cabinet committee on UID meets to discuss a supplementary cabinet note that details the compromise formula.
UIDAI and the home ministry have been jousting over the collection of biometrics for their respective projects. The MHA had reservations about the data collection methods used by the UIDAI. The Authority has already enrolled 170 million residents.
“The cabinet will take a final decision on Friday. A reasonable level of consensus has been arrived at the informal meeting,” plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said.
2282 - Parallel data collection to solve UID row - TOI
Mahendra K Singh, TNN | Jan 26, 2012, 12.23AM IST
NEW DELHI: UPA's ambitious project to give unique identity number to all 1.2-billion residents has survived, with the government deciding that Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will continue the enrollment along with the home ministry-controlled Registrar General of India (RGI).
The parallel enumeration exercises emerged as the solution at a meeting called by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday to thrash out the differences between the Planning Commission and UIADAI and the ministry of home affairs. The dispute arising from home ministry's concerns about the authenticity of UIADAI enrolment procedure and the fear that it could lead illegal residents to claim citizenship had held up the implementation of the UID project which is meant to plug the loopholes in the delivery of subsidies.
The formula is devised at balancing the home ministry's concerns about the security fallout and integrity of data, with Congress leadership's anxiety to check pilferage in welfare schemes whose size keeps increasing.
"Both will have the mandate to cover 600 million each and will share the biometric details," sources said. It was also agreed upon that UIDAI and RGI will address the concerns raised by making changes in enrollment guidelines - process and procedures for collecting and capturing biometric data.
Sources said UIDAI will continue enrollment in 13 states in which it has started the process and National Population Register (NPR) project will collect data in other states.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty," deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia told reporters.
He was hopeful that Friday's meeting would resolve the issue. "I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue," he added.
The contentious issues threatening the UID project were sorted out at an "informal" meeting of Cabinet colleagues Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram, also attended by Ahluwalia and UIDAI chief Nandan Nilekani, but the formal announcement is expected on Friday.
The Plan panel is preparing a supplementary note for cabinet committee on UID for the Friday's meeting.
The PM's pet scheme was mired in controversy after RGI refused to share biometric data collected by the Authority, citing security concerns. Also, the UIDAI's mandate of giving unique numbers to 20 crore residents is coming to an end by March 31, and the Cabinet approval is needed to extend the mandate beyond that figure.
The home ministry's objections were that the data collected by the Authority was not secure as it is not verified by a government employee.
But, the Planning Commission was arguing that the UID project with development objective can go along with NPR's national security, but the finance ministry was opposed to any duplication and was pressing for mutual data sharing.
2281 - Turfs marked, ID war ends - Hindustan Times
Chetan Chauhan and Aloke Tikku, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, January 25, 2012
A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday came out with a formula to end the tug-of-war between the home ministry and the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI over collection of biometrics of more than 1 billion people in the country. It was decided to work out a mechanism to enable the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the home ministry’s National Population Register (NPR) to split the task of biometric enrollment.
The formula will be vetted by a cabinet panel on Friday.
“I think we've come to an agreement on how both projects can proceed together without any difficulty,” planning commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia said after the meeting attended by key government leaders, including home minister P Chidambaram and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Previous attempts to resolve the differences between the home ministry and plan panel had failed.
There were fears that the UIDAI and the NPR could end up duplicating the work of collecting biometric data of a billion people. At Wednesday's meeting, Mukherjee suggested the idea of finding a way to split the work, sources said.
The UIDAI would collect biometric details — iris scan, photograph and fingerprints — of people in 13 states, including Jharkhand, Tripura and Delhi while the NPR would move into states along the coasts, international borders and where the UIDAI has no presence.
The govt would have to change the rules for collecting NPR data to enable the home ministry to accept data of people enrolled by the UIDAI. The home ministry had refused to change these rules, saying they were time-tested and finalised, keeping security considerations in view.
New Delhi, January 25, 2012
A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday came out with a formula to end the tug-of-war between the home ministry and the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI over collection of biometrics of more than 1 billion people in the country. It was decided to work out a mechanism to enable the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the home ministry’s National Population Register (NPR) to split the task of biometric enrollment.
The formula will be vetted by a cabinet panel on Friday.
“I think we've come to an agreement on how both projects can proceed together without any difficulty,” planning commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia said after the meeting attended by key government leaders, including home minister P Chidambaram and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Previous attempts to resolve the differences between the home ministry and plan panel had failed.
There were fears that the UIDAI and the NPR could end up duplicating the work of collecting biometric data of a billion people. At Wednesday's meeting, Mukherjee suggested the idea of finding a way to split the work, sources said.
The UIDAI would collect biometric details — iris scan, photograph and fingerprints — of people in 13 states, including Jharkhand, Tripura and Delhi while the NPR would move into states along the coasts, international borders and where the UIDAI has no presence.
The govt would have to change the rules for collecting NPR data to enable the home ministry to accept data of people enrolled by the UIDAI. The home ministry had refused to change these rules, saying they were time-tested and finalised, keeping security considerations in view.
2280 - UID project: Plan panel, Home Ministry reach compromise - Economic Times
25 JAN, 2012, 10.43PM IST, PTI
NEW DELHI: Planning Commission and Home Ministry appeared to have reached a compromise on the UIDAI project over which the two were at loggerheads over the security angle.
The understanding over the issue of providing unique identity numbers to residents seems to have been reached at a meeting of senior Cabinet colleagues called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here today.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty ... the Cabinet Committee (on UIDAI) was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said here after the meeting.
Besides Ahluwalia, the meeting was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani and National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon.
"We are moving towards a very satisfactory conclusion. There were different views ... We reviewed different issues," Ahluwalia said, adding that the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
"I think that there is an agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue. I will sent the supplementary note (to Cabinet)", he added.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of bio-metric data of all residents. While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
NEW DELHI: Planning Commission and Home Ministry appeared to have reached a compromise on the UIDAI project over which the two were at loggerheads over the security angle.
The understanding over the issue of providing unique identity numbers to residents seems to have been reached at a meeting of senior Cabinet colleagues called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here today.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty ... the Cabinet Committee (on UIDAI) was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said here after the meeting.
Besides Ahluwalia, the meeting was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani and National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon.
"We are moving towards a very satisfactory conclusion. There were different views ... We reviewed different issues," Ahluwalia said, adding that the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
"I think that there is an agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue. I will sent the supplementary note (to Cabinet)", he added.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of bio-metric data of all residents. While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
2279 - UIDAI-NPR issue resolved - Hindustan Times
VChetan Chauhan and Aloke Tikku, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, January 25, 2012
In an attempt to end the tug-of-war between the home ministry and Nandan Nilekani's UIDAI over collection of biometrics, a key meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday found a way out to address concerns of both sides
It was decided to work out a mechanism
to enable the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) as well as the home ministry's National Population Register (NPR) to split the task of biometric enrollment of over billion people, a senior government source said.
The compromise will be vetted by a Cabinet panel on Friday.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty," planning commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia said after the meeting attended by key government leaders including home minister P Chidambaram and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Previous attempts to resolve the differences between the home ministry and plan panel had failed, leading to fears that UIDAI and the NPR could end up collecting biometric data of a billion people twice.
At Wednesday's meeting, government sources said, it was Mukherjee's suggestion to that showed the way ahead.
The UIDAI would accordingly be allowed to collect biometric details - Iris scan, photograph and ten fingerprints - of the people in 13 hinterland states such as Jharkhand, Tripura and Delhi.
The NPR would move into states along the coasts, international borders and where the UIDAI does not have a presence.
The government would have to change the rules for collecting NPR data to enable the home ministry to accept data of people enrolled by UIDAI. The home ministry had refused to change these rules, saying they were time-tested and finalised keeping security considerations in view.
New Delhi, January 25, 2012
In an attempt to end the tug-of-war between the home ministry and Nandan Nilekani's UIDAI over collection of biometrics, a key meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday found a way out to address concerns of both sides
It was decided to work out a mechanism
to enable the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) as well as the home ministry's National Population Register (NPR) to split the task of biometric enrollment of over billion people, a senior government source said.
The compromise will be vetted by a Cabinet panel on Friday.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty," planning commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia said after the meeting attended by key government leaders including home minister P Chidambaram and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Previous attempts to resolve the differences between the home ministry and plan panel had failed, leading to fears that UIDAI and the NPR could end up collecting biometric data of a billion people twice.
At Wednesday's meeting, government sources said, it was Mukherjee's suggestion to that showed the way ahead.
The UIDAI would accordingly be allowed to collect biometric details - Iris scan, photograph and ten fingerprints - of the people in 13 hinterland states such as Jharkhand, Tripura and Delhi.
The NPR would move into states along the coasts, international borders and where the UIDAI does not have a presence.
The government would have to change the rules for collecting NPR data to enable the home ministry to accept data of people enrolled by UIDAI. The home ministry had refused to change these rules, saying they were time-tested and finalised keeping security considerations in view.
2278 - Cabinet panel on UID defers meeting - Hindu Business Line
NEW DELHI, JAN. 25:
Amidst differences between the Planning Commission and the Home Ministry, the Cabinet Committee on Unique Identity (UID) Number Project's meeting has been postponed till Friday.
This meeting was scheduled for Wednesday to take a call on granting UID number beyond 20 crores.
However, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, chaired an informal meeting with his senior Cabinet colleagues. The meeting was also attended by the UIDAI Chairman, Mr Nandan Nilekani, and the National Security Advisor (NSA), Mr Shivshankar Menon. The proposal is to extend the project to cover the entire population.
Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, said, “I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting,” he told reporters.
He also added that the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
“I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found to avoid duplication. That was the key issue. I will send the supplementary note (to Cabinet),” he said.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of biometric data of all residents. While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
Shishir.s@thehindu.co.in
Amidst differences between the Planning Commission and the Home Ministry, the Cabinet Committee on Unique Identity (UID) Number Project's meeting has been postponed till Friday.
This meeting was scheduled for Wednesday to take a call on granting UID number beyond 20 crores.
However, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, chaired an informal meeting with his senior Cabinet colleagues. The meeting was also attended by the UIDAI Chairman, Mr Nandan Nilekani, and the National Security Advisor (NSA), Mr Shivshankar Menon. The proposal is to extend the project to cover the entire population.
Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, said, “I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting,” he told reporters.
He also added that the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
“I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found to avoid duplication. That was the key issue. I will send the supplementary note (to Cabinet),” he said.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of biometric data of all residents. While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
Shishir.s@thehindu.co.in
2277 - Prime Minister meets senior ministers to sort out UID project - NDTV
PTI, 25 Jan 2012 | 03:02 PM
Amid differences between Home Ministry and Planning Commission over continuation of Unique Identification Authority of India or UIDAI Project, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today held discussions with senior Cabinet colleagues to resolve the issues.
Singh will call a Cabinet meeting on Friday to take final call on extension of the UIDAI project, under which national identity cards are issued to entire population.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty... the Cabinet Committee (on UIDAI) was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said after the meeting.
Besides Ahluwalia, today's meeting was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani and National Security Advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon.
"We are moving towards very satisfactory conclusion. There were different views... We reviewed different issues," Mr Ahluwalia said, adding the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
"I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue. I will sent the supplementary note (to Cabinet)," he added.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of bio-metric data of all residents.
While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
Home Minister P Chidambaram has sought clarity on the status on who will capture bio-metric data - Registrar General India or UIDAI. The Home Ministry feels that the data collected by UIDAI was not secure as it is not verified by a government servant.
The data collection by UIDAI has been done by hired organisations which is a cause of concern for the Home Minister.
Since the UIDAI has already enrolled 170 million residents, the government will have to take a decision on the future of the body.
UIDAI is likely to complete the mandate of enrolling 200 million residents even before the deadline of March 31 this year.
Ahluwalia has thrown his full weight behind the UIDAI saying the project should continue. On concerns over duplication of work and extra burden on exchequer, he had stated that the project is well worth it.
The Planning Commission wants more resources for the authority for continuation of its work.
According to the Home Ministry proposal, chip-based smart cards will be issued to all residents on the basis of the record maintained by the NPR - a digital database under construction.
Amid differences between Home Ministry and Planning Commission over continuation of Unique Identification Authority of India or UIDAI Project, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today held discussions with senior Cabinet colleagues to resolve the issues.
Singh will call a Cabinet meeting on Friday to take final call on extension of the UIDAI project, under which national identity cards are issued to entire population.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty... the Cabinet Committee (on UIDAI) was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said after the meeting.
Besides Ahluwalia, today's meeting was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani and National Security Advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon.
"We are moving towards very satisfactory conclusion. There were different views... We reviewed different issues," Mr Ahluwalia said, adding the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
"I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue. I will sent the supplementary note (to Cabinet)," he added.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of bio-metric data of all residents.
While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
Home Minister P Chidambaram has sought clarity on the status on who will capture bio-metric data - Registrar General India or UIDAI. The Home Ministry feels that the data collected by UIDAI was not secure as it is not verified by a government servant.
The data collection by UIDAI has been done by hired organisations which is a cause of concern for the Home Minister.
Since the UIDAI has already enrolled 170 million residents, the government will have to take a decision on the future of the body.
UIDAI is likely to complete the mandate of enrolling 200 million residents even before the deadline of March 31 this year.
Ahluwalia has thrown his full weight behind the UIDAI saying the project should continue. On concerns over duplication of work and extra burden on exchequer, he had stated that the project is well worth it.
The Planning Commission wants more resources for the authority for continuation of its work.
According to the Home Ministry proposal, chip-based smart cards will be issued to all residents on the basis of the record maintained by the NPR - a digital database under construction.
2276 - Prime Minister Manmohn Singh meets senior ministers to sort out UIDAI project - Economic Times
PTI Jan 25, 2012, 02.05PM IST
NEW DELHI: Amid differences between Home Ministry and Planning Commission over continuation of UID project, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today held discussions with senior Cabinet colleagues to resolve the issues.
Singh will call a Cabinet meeting on Friday to take final call on extension of the UIDAI project, under which national identity cards are issued to entire population.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty ... the Cabinet Committee (on UIDAI) was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said here after the meeting.
Besides Ahluwalia, today's meeting was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani and National Security Advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon.
"We are moving towards very satisfactory conclusion. There were different views ... We reviewed different issues", Ahluwalia said, adding the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
"I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue. I will sent the supplementary note (to Cabinet)", he added.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of bio-metric data of all residents.
While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
NEW DELHI: Amid differences between Home Ministry and Planning Commission over continuation of UID project, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today held discussions with senior Cabinet colleagues to resolve the issues.
Singh will call a Cabinet meeting on Friday to take final call on extension of the UIDAI project, under which national identity cards are issued to entire population.
"I think we have come to an agreement on how both the projects can proceed together without any difficulty ... the Cabinet Committee (on UIDAI) was rescheduled and will happen on Friday. We are quite hopeful that we will have a resolution of these issues in that meeting," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said here after the meeting.
Besides Ahluwalia, today's meeting was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani and National Security Advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon.
"We are moving towards very satisfactory conclusion. There were different views ... We reviewed different issues", Ahluwalia said, adding the Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) project for constructing digital database of residents could continue along with UIDAI.
"I think that there is agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found that will avoid avoidable duplication. That was the key issue. I will sent the supplementary note (to Cabinet)", he added.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of bio-metric data of all residents.
While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
2275 - Cabinet to decide on future of UIDAI today - IBN Live
India | Posted on Jan 25, 2012 at 06:07am IST
New Delhi: The Cabinet is likely to take a final decision on Wednesday on whether or not to give statutory powers to the Nandan Nilekani led Unique Identification Authority's proposal. It seeks to expand the UID project in order to issue national identity cards to the entire population as opposed to the mandated 200 million people.
The government has to take a decision soon because it the UIDAI is likely to complete its mandate of enrolling 200 million residents even before the deadline of March 31.
The Planning Commission and the Home Ministry have been locked in a tussle over the UID project and earlier, both of them had taken the issue to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a solution.
According to sources, the Finance Ministry is not opposed to the UIDAI proposal but it does not want the duplication of work.
However, Telecom and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, sources said, is supporting the Home Ministry proposal to create a digital data base of the entire population which will be called the National Population Register (NPR).
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of bio-metric data of all residents. While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
Home Minister P Chidambaram has sought clarity on the status on who will capture bio-metric data -- RGI or UIDAI. The Home Ministry feels the data collected by UIDAI was not secure as it is not verified by a government servant.
The data collection by UIDAI has been done by hired organisations which is a cause of concern for the Home Minister.
UIDAI has already enrolled 170 million residents. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has thrown his full weight behind the UIDAI saying the project should continue.
According to the Home Ministry proposal, chip-based smart cards will be issued to all residents on the basis of the record maintained by the NPR-- a digital database under construction.
On concerns over duplication of work and extra burden on exchequer, Ahulwalia had stated that the project is well worth it. The Commission wants more resources for the authority for continuation of its work.
2274 - Cabinet set to decide future of UIDAI project - Economic Times
M RAJSHEKHAR & VIKAS DHOOT, ET Bureau Jan 25, 2012, 04.48AM IST
NEW DELHI: The government's indecision on which of its two arms should capture the biometrics of all 1.2 billion Indians is causing collateral damage. Frustrated by the issue not being resolved quickly and difficulties in the business, Wipro, one of the largest enrolment agencies empanelled with the Unique Identification Authority of India, is considering quitting the business.
"We will take a final decision based on the Cabinet meeting," a senior Wipro official involved in the project told ET on the condition of anonymity. The Cabinet committee on UIDAI is meeting on Wednesday to decide who should capture biometrics from here on - the UIDAI, the National Population Registry (NPR), which comes under the home ministry, or both.
The 174 enrolment agencies empanelled with the UIDAI will watch keenly. They are grappling with a tough business, made tougher by the lower enrolment numbers resulting from the indecision. The project to provide unique identity numbers called Aadhaar was launched in 2009. It was decided the NPR would collect biometrics and the UIDAI would issue Aadhaar card.
The UIDAI organised itself quicker than the NPR, and received a nod from the government in July 2010 to collect 100 million biometrics, which was increased to 200 million in November 2010. In May 2011, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani asked the government to let it capture all 1.2 billion biometrics. Even as a decision on this is pending, the home ministry and a Parliamentary panel have pointed out flaws in the UIDAI's working.
As the UIDAI nears its mandated 200 million mark, and with no direction from the government on the remainder, it has started asking central enrolment agencies to stop work. Wipro received a letter from the UIDAI in December. Earlier this month, the Karnataka government too asked Wipro to stop enrolments by February 10.
The UIDAI had set a target of 14 million enrolments for the state. "The state has already hit 13 million," says the Wipro official. "If it crosses 14 million, it will have to pay out of its own pocket." Most players assumed UIDAI's mandate would be extended to all 1.2 billion. "It was an assumption made by 70-80 % of companies rushing into this space," says Rajiv Aggarwal, CEO (egovernance ), Spanco, which sets up citizen service centres in rural India. The arithmetic of UIDAI-empanelled agencies has gone awry.
According to the Wipro official, the company has about 3,000 biometric kits - fingerprint and iris scanners and a laptop - costing Rs 1-1 .5 lakh each, adding up to about Rs 30 crore. It planned to recover this investment, and its operational costs, by doing 50-70 enrolments per machine per day. "That investment has gone bad," says the official.
A lot of the other enrolment agencies empanelled with the UIDAI - ranging from small outfits with 10-odd kits to larger players like Karvy with 1,000 kits or more - have been blindsided by the standoff between NPR and UID. Several UIDAI-registered agencies were already struggling. "This is a low cost, but high fatigue model," says Satish Bansal, co-founder of Calance, a company that handles biometric enrolments for banking-correspondent companies. While the UIDAI pays Rs 50 per enrolment , state governments have lowered rates further, pocketing the difference.
Fewer people have walked into enrolment centres than anticipated, delaying break even. Desperate to recover their investments , some agencies have bid for NPR tenders, whose terms are more stringent than those of the UIDAI. For instance , the UIDAI paid enrolment agencies only when a unique number was issued. It also did not demarcate territory for each enrolment agency, thinking that multiple firms operating in an area would speed up coverage. The NPR's approach is different. One, it is assigning zones to enrolment agencies , and expects them to ensure 100% coverage.
If not, it will deduct 50% of the payment due. Two, it wants all work completed in 12 months. Three, it will pay in five installments and subject to certain conditions. Four, for every 100,000 population, companies have to deposit Rs 80,000. Enrolment agencies are unhappy about 100% enrolment clause. Says the head of a small Delhi-based enrolment agency that worked for banking-correspondent companies: "No one can do 100% enrolment. There is migration."
Adds the head of another small Delhibased enrolment agency bidding for the NPR. "NPR is a loss-making proposition . I am writing off 30% at the outset ." All this is why the enrolment agencies are anxiously awaiting a Cabinet committee decision. A definitive decision won't be easy. Allowing UIDAI to collect all biometrics does not address the home ministry's security concerns.
Sticking to the original plan of NPR capturing all biometrics has become difficult, with the UIDAI throwing its weight behind its enrolment agencies. And allowing both NPR and UIDAI to collect biometrics will result in duplicate expenditure. The UIDAI seems confident. On January 19, it invited bids for "training operators and supervisors involved in undertaking enrolments" . The last date for the tender: February 13.
NEW DELHI: The government's indecision on which of its two arms should capture the biometrics of all 1.2 billion Indians is causing collateral damage. Frustrated by the issue not being resolved quickly and difficulties in the business, Wipro, one of the largest enrolment agencies empanelled with the Unique Identification Authority of India, is considering quitting the business.
"We will take a final decision based on the Cabinet meeting," a senior Wipro official involved in the project told ET on the condition of anonymity. The Cabinet committee on UIDAI is meeting on Wednesday to decide who should capture biometrics from here on - the UIDAI, the National Population Registry (NPR), which comes under the home ministry, or both.
The 174 enrolment agencies empanelled with the UIDAI will watch keenly. They are grappling with a tough business, made tougher by the lower enrolment numbers resulting from the indecision. The project to provide unique identity numbers called Aadhaar was launched in 2009. It was decided the NPR would collect biometrics and the UIDAI would issue Aadhaar card.
The UIDAI organised itself quicker than the NPR, and received a nod from the government in July 2010 to collect 100 million biometrics, which was increased to 200 million in November 2010. In May 2011, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani asked the government to let it capture all 1.2 billion biometrics. Even as a decision on this is pending, the home ministry and a Parliamentary panel have pointed out flaws in the UIDAI's working.
As the UIDAI nears its mandated 200 million mark, and with no direction from the government on the remainder, it has started asking central enrolment agencies to stop work. Wipro received a letter from the UIDAI in December. Earlier this month, the Karnataka government too asked Wipro to stop enrolments by February 10.
The UIDAI had set a target of 14 million enrolments for the state. "The state has already hit 13 million," says the Wipro official. "If it crosses 14 million, it will have to pay out of its own pocket." Most players assumed UIDAI's mandate would be extended to all 1.2 billion. "It was an assumption made by 70-80 % of companies rushing into this space," says Rajiv Aggarwal, CEO (egovernance ), Spanco, which sets up citizen service centres in rural India. The arithmetic of UIDAI-empanelled agencies has gone awry.
According to the Wipro official, the company has about 3,000 biometric kits - fingerprint and iris scanners and a laptop - costing Rs 1-1 .5 lakh each, adding up to about Rs 30 crore. It planned to recover this investment, and its operational costs, by doing 50-70 enrolments per machine per day. "That investment has gone bad," says the official.
A lot of the other enrolment agencies empanelled with the UIDAI - ranging from small outfits with 10-odd kits to larger players like Karvy with 1,000 kits or more - have been blindsided by the standoff between NPR and UID. Several UIDAI-registered agencies were already struggling. "This is a low cost, but high fatigue model," says Satish Bansal, co-founder of Calance, a company that handles biometric enrolments for banking-correspondent companies. While the UIDAI pays Rs 50 per enrolment , state governments have lowered rates further, pocketing the difference.
Fewer people have walked into enrolment centres than anticipated, delaying break even. Desperate to recover their investments , some agencies have bid for NPR tenders, whose terms are more stringent than those of the UIDAI. For instance , the UIDAI paid enrolment agencies only when a unique number was issued. It also did not demarcate territory for each enrolment agency, thinking that multiple firms operating in an area would speed up coverage. The NPR's approach is different. One, it is assigning zones to enrolment agencies , and expects them to ensure 100% coverage.
If not, it will deduct 50% of the payment due. Two, it wants all work completed in 12 months. Three, it will pay in five installments and subject to certain conditions. Four, for every 100,000 population, companies have to deposit Rs 80,000. Enrolment agencies are unhappy about 100% enrolment clause. Says the head of a small Delhi-based enrolment agency that worked for banking-correspondent companies: "No one can do 100% enrolment. There is migration."
Adds the head of another small Delhibased enrolment agency bidding for the NPR. "NPR is a loss-making proposition . I am writing off 30% at the outset ." All this is why the enrolment agencies are anxiously awaiting a Cabinet committee decision. A definitive decision won't be easy. Allowing UIDAI to collect all biometrics does not address the home ministry's security concerns.
Sticking to the original plan of NPR capturing all biometrics has become difficult, with the UIDAI throwing its weight behind its enrolment agencies. And allowing both NPR and UIDAI to collect biometrics will result in duplicate expenditure. The UIDAI seems confident. On January 19, it invited bids for "training operators and supervisors involved in undertaking enrolments" . The last date for the tender: February 13.
2273 - NPR & UIDAI: Cost of both projects pegged at Rs 15, 000 crore - Economic Times
Bharti Jain, ET Bureau Jan 25, 2012, 12.56PM IST
NEW DELHI: Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia may be okay with a little overlap between the National Population Register exercise and UIDAI's aadhar project, but an earlier note prepared by the Plan Panel had pegged the cost of this duplication at Rs 15,000 crore.
Based on the premise that increased accuracy of iris as a third biometric, as compared to the use of all ten fingerprints, was marginal, the Planning Commission, in a note dated September 30, 2011, had said that collecting iris data may not be worthwhile given the cost implications and other complexities, except for high-security purposes.
The note signed by Ahluwalia - a copy of which is with ET - argued that the exclusion of iris and convergence of NPR and UIDAI could cut the combined cost of the two projects by half. By leaving iris out of purview of the NPR/MP-NIC (multipurpose national identity card), the NPR-MPNIC cost was projected to come down to Rs 10,328 crore from Rs 13,438 crore.
And were the UID to take the data entirely from NPR and its aadhaar number superimposed on MPNIC, the technology-related costs of UIDAI would hover between Rs 4,000 crore and Rs 6,000 crore. This would be a major decrease from the projected Rs 17,864 crore expenditure on issuing unique identification numbers, complete with iris capture, for the entire 1.21-billion population of the country.
Incidentally, the Plan panel went for a subsequent rethink and after an intervention at the highest level, decided to endorse UIDAI's move to include iris as a third biometric, apart from photograph and fingerprints, in the Aadhaar card. The Registrar General of India (RGI) followed by also including iris as a biometric for NPR.
As the Cabinet Committee on UID debates the NPR-UID overlap issue on Wednesday, Ahluwalia, according to sources, is in favour of extending UIDAI's existing mandate of issuing aadhaar cards to 20 crore people to cover the entire 1.21 crore population, even if it means running UID and NPR schemes on parallel lines.
The Plan panel's September 2011 note on duplication of work in the rollout of aadhaar numbers by UIDAI and NPR-MNIC effort on part of RGI dwelt at length on whether there was any need to collect iris data. It recalled that the Cabinet Committee, while considering the progress report on UIDAI, had only given an in-principle approval, entailing the need for further discussion on the prescribed procedure.
Iris was included on the recommendation of the biometric design standards for UID applications committee, headed by DG, National Informatics Centre. However, the committee had barely asked the UID to "consider" the use of iris, "if they feel it is required for the UID project." The IT Department, on its part, pointed out that the benefits of adding iris as an additional biometric to achieve de-duplication needed to be examined with regards to its implications on cost, time, ground level feasibility and accuracy.
Though a committee of secretaries under the Cabinet Secretary instructed the department of IT, NIC and UIDAI to send their views to the Cabinet Secretariat on the iris issue, the inclusion of iris as a third biometic for UID was cleared even before these views could be communicated.
NEW DELHI: Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia may be okay with a little overlap between the National Population Register exercise and UIDAI's aadhar project, but an earlier note prepared by the Plan Panel had pegged the cost of this duplication at Rs 15,000 crore.
Based on the premise that increased accuracy of iris as a third biometric, as compared to the use of all ten fingerprints, was marginal, the Planning Commission, in a note dated September 30, 2011, had said that collecting iris data may not be worthwhile given the cost implications and other complexities, except for high-security purposes.
The note signed by Ahluwalia - a copy of which is with ET - argued that the exclusion of iris and convergence of NPR and UIDAI could cut the combined cost of the two projects by half. By leaving iris out of purview of the NPR/MP-NIC (multipurpose national identity card), the NPR-MPNIC cost was projected to come down to Rs 10,328 crore from Rs 13,438 crore.
And were the UID to take the data entirely from NPR and its aadhaar number superimposed on MPNIC, the technology-related costs of UIDAI would hover between Rs 4,000 crore and Rs 6,000 crore. This would be a major decrease from the projected Rs 17,864 crore expenditure on issuing unique identification numbers, complete with iris capture, for the entire 1.21-billion population of the country.
Incidentally, the Plan panel went for a subsequent rethink and after an intervention at the highest level, decided to endorse UIDAI's move to include iris as a third biometric, apart from photograph and fingerprints, in the Aadhaar card. The Registrar General of India (RGI) followed by also including iris as a biometric for NPR.
As the Cabinet Committee on UID debates the NPR-UID overlap issue on Wednesday, Ahluwalia, according to sources, is in favour of extending UIDAI's existing mandate of issuing aadhaar cards to 20 crore people to cover the entire 1.21 crore population, even if it means running UID and NPR schemes on parallel lines.
The Plan panel's September 2011 note on duplication of work in the rollout of aadhaar numbers by UIDAI and NPR-MNIC effort on part of RGI dwelt at length on whether there was any need to collect iris data. It recalled that the Cabinet Committee, while considering the progress report on UIDAI, had only given an in-principle approval, entailing the need for further discussion on the prescribed procedure.
Iris was included on the recommendation of the biometric design standards for UID applications committee, headed by DG, National Informatics Centre. However, the committee had barely asked the UID to "consider" the use of iris, "if they feel it is required for the UID project." The IT Department, on its part, pointed out that the benefits of adding iris as an additional biometric to achieve de-duplication needed to be examined with regards to its implications on cost, time, ground level feasibility and accuracy.
Though a committee of secretaries under the Cabinet Secretary instructed the department of IT, NIC and UIDAI to send their views to the Cabinet Secretariat on the iris issue, the inclusion of iris as a third biometic for UID was cleared even before these views could be communicated.
2272 - Stand-off on UID persists: Cabinet to decide fate - Hindustan Times
Aloke Tikku/Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, January 24, 2012
A Cabinet panel headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will decide on Wednesday if the government should spend nearly Rs 15,000 crore more to duplicate an ongoing exercise to capture biometric data. The government had earlier authorised the Registrar General of India under the home ministry to create the National Population Register, a task that required RGI to collect biometric data of nearly one billion people and get them an Aadhaar number through the Nandan Nilekani-led Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The UIDAI was allowed to collect biometric data of 200 million people and thereafter, it was required to generate Aadhaar for enrolments done by NPR.
But the Planning Commission now wants clearance to let the UIDAI enrol entire population, in addition to NPR. “If the Home Ministry refuses (to accept UIDAI data) then the UIDAI should also be allowed to enrol,” plan panel deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia had said.
This will mean people will have to fill two sets of forms and two sets of biometrics – photograph, iris scan and ten fingerprints – to get one unique number.
Ahluwalia, who was left with no option as Home Ministry refused to accept UIDAI data terming it unreliable, sought duplication and claimed that it would be worth the money spent since the NPR and the UID had different objectives. NPR was for internal security and Aadhaar a development initiative.
Home Ministry officials question this logic, insisting that Aadhaar was going to be generated in the process of creating the NPR in any case. The only point of dispute is if UIDAI should repeat the biometric collection exercise at a cost of crores of rupees.
It is in this context that home minister P Chidambaram declared in Chennai that there was no conflict between Aadhar and NPR. The inclusion of Aadhar number in the NPR cards enable its effective use to ensure government services were delivered to the right beneficiary, he said.
UIDAI countered the home ministry claims by releasing a report saying Aadhaar number scored 99.965% on reliability and accuracy quotient.
Amid this tug of war, the Finance Ministry has backed the plan panel proposal saying Aadhaar was crucial to ensure targeted subsidy under different government schemes for poor and to check diversion. The ministry is also expected to seek approval for Rs 1,600 crore it intends to allocate to UIDAI for the next financial year.
New Delhi, January 24, 2012
A Cabinet panel headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will decide on Wednesday if the government should spend nearly Rs 15,000 crore more to duplicate an ongoing exercise to capture biometric data. The government had earlier authorised the Registrar General of India under the home ministry to create the National Population Register, a task that required RGI to collect biometric data of nearly one billion people and get them an Aadhaar number through the Nandan Nilekani-led Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The UIDAI was allowed to collect biometric data of 200 million people and thereafter, it was required to generate Aadhaar for enrolments done by NPR.
But the Planning Commission now wants clearance to let the UIDAI enrol entire population, in addition to NPR. “If the Home Ministry refuses (to accept UIDAI data) then the UIDAI should also be allowed to enrol,” plan panel deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia had said.
This will mean people will have to fill two sets of forms and two sets of biometrics – photograph, iris scan and ten fingerprints – to get one unique number.
Ahluwalia, who was left with no option as Home Ministry refused to accept UIDAI data terming it unreliable, sought duplication and claimed that it would be worth the money spent since the NPR and the UID had different objectives. NPR was for internal security and Aadhaar a development initiative.
Home Ministry officials question this logic, insisting that Aadhaar was going to be generated in the process of creating the NPR in any case. The only point of dispute is if UIDAI should repeat the biometric collection exercise at a cost of crores of rupees.
It is in this context that home minister P Chidambaram declared in Chennai that there was no conflict between Aadhar and NPR. The inclusion of Aadhar number in the NPR cards enable its effective use to ensure government services were delivered to the right beneficiary, he said.
UIDAI countered the home ministry claims by releasing a report saying Aadhaar number scored 99.965% on reliability and accuracy quotient.
Amid this tug of war, the Finance Ministry has backed the plan panel proposal saying Aadhaar was crucial to ensure targeted subsidy under different government schemes for poor and to check diversion. The ministry is also expected to seek approval for Rs 1,600 crore it intends to allocate to UIDAI for the next financial year.
2271 - Cabinet Committee meet on UID project postponed - Economic Times
PTI Jan 24, 2012, 10.44PM IST
NEW DELHI: A meeting tomorrow of the Union Cabinet Committee to decide the fate of UIDAI project in the backdrop of differences between the Home Ministry and the Planning Commission has been postponed.
The Committee was to meet tomorrow to take the final decision on the proposal to give statutory powers to Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI to issue national identity cards to the entire population instead of the mandated 200 million.
"The Cabinet Committee meeting on Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) project has been postponed and the decision regarding its meeting will be taken later on," an official said.
The Planning Commission and the Home Ministry are locked in a hard tussle over the unique identification number project and both of them had taken the issue to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a solution.
The government, the source said, will have to take a decision soon as UIDAI is likely to complete the mandate of enrolling 200 million residents even before the deadline of March 31 this year.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of bio-metric data of all residents.
While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
Home Minister P Chidambaram has sought clarity on the status on who will capture bio-metric data -- RGI or UIDAI. The Home Ministry feels the data collected by UIDAI was not secure as it is not verified by a government servant.
The data collection by UIDAI has been done by hired organisations which is a cause of concern for the Home Minister. The body has already enrolled 170 million residents.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has thrown his full weight behind the UIDAI saying the project should continue.
NEW DELHI: A meeting tomorrow of the Union Cabinet Committee to decide the fate of UIDAI project in the backdrop of differences between the Home Ministry and the Planning Commission has been postponed.
The Committee was to meet tomorrow to take the final decision on the proposal to give statutory powers to Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI to issue national identity cards to the entire population instead of the mandated 200 million.
"The Cabinet Committee meeting on Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) project has been postponed and the decision regarding its meeting will be taken later on," an official said.
The Planning Commission and the Home Ministry are locked in a hard tussle over the unique identification number project and both of them had taken the issue to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a solution.
The government, the source said, will have to take a decision soon as UIDAI is likely to complete the mandate of enrolling 200 million residents even before the deadline of March 31 this year.
At the centre of the controversy is the collection of bio-metric data of all residents.
While the Home Ministry has maintained that the Registrar General of India (RGI) under it has been mandated to collect the data through the NPR, the Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI has also been authorised to gather the information.
Home Minister P Chidambaram has sought clarity on the status on who will capture bio-metric data -- RGI or UIDAI. The Home Ministry feels the data collected by UIDAI was not secure as it is not verified by a government servant.
The data collection by UIDAI has been done by hired organisations which is a cause of concern for the Home Minister. The body has already enrolled 170 million residents.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has thrown his full weight behind the UIDAI saying the project should continue.
2270 - No dispute over Aadhar project: PC - IBN Live
Tamil Nadu | Updated Jan 25, 2012 at 08:55am IST
PATTIPULAM (KANCHEEPURAM): Denying that there was rift between Home Ministry and Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) over the Aadhar project as reported in a section of the media, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, on Monday, attributed ignorance to such propaganda.
Launching the distribution of Resident Identity cards in the main land under National Population Registery (NPR) — Coastal at Pattipulam here, Chidambaram said that these cards would help identify residents living in coastal areas whenever there were terror strikes such as the 26/11 attacks, that were executed by infiltrators through the coast.
“Resident Identity card is a biometric smart card which bears information such as name, photograph, father/mother’s name, address, date of birth, education, occupation, besides 10 fingerprints,” he said and added “on submission, the card will be checked for two-level authentication using biometric-reader, a hand-held device.”
Elaborating on the difference between the UIDAI-issued Aadhar and NPR, Chidambaram said: “NPR issues a smart card, whereas Aadhaar is a unique number. We are mulling the option of incorporating the Aadhaar number in the NPR smart cards in future. The smart card would serve as a multi-purpose identity card.”
Claiming the NPR smart card as the ambitious project of the UPA government, he stated that it would provide unique fool proof ID for all Indians and prevent fake beneficiaries from availing the welfare schemes.
Earlier, C Chandramouli, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, said that the cloning of smart cards would be tough due to its multi-layer security feature and the twin-layer authentication process.
PATTIPULAM (KANCHEEPURAM): Denying that there was rift between Home Ministry and Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) over the Aadhar project as reported in a section of the media, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, on Monday, attributed ignorance to such propaganda.
Launching the distribution of Resident Identity cards in the main land under National Population Registery (NPR) — Coastal at Pattipulam here, Chidambaram said that these cards would help identify residents living in coastal areas whenever there were terror strikes such as the 26/11 attacks, that were executed by infiltrators through the coast.
“Resident Identity card is a biometric smart card which bears information such as name, photograph, father/mother’s name, address, date of birth, education, occupation, besides 10 fingerprints,” he said and added “on submission, the card will be checked for two-level authentication using biometric-reader, a hand-held device.”
Elaborating on the difference between the UIDAI-issued Aadhar and NPR, Chidambaram said: “NPR issues a smart card, whereas Aadhaar is a unique number. We are mulling the option of incorporating the Aadhaar number in the NPR smart cards in future. The smart card would serve as a multi-purpose identity card.”
Claiming the NPR smart card as the ambitious project of the UPA government, he stated that it would provide unique fool proof ID for all Indians and prevent fake beneficiaries from availing the welfare schemes.
Earlier, C Chandramouli, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, said that the cloning of smart cards would be tough due to its multi-layer security feature and the twin-layer authentication process.
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