Rajanya Bose
16th Feb 2012
16th Feb 2012
Aadhaar, or the unique identification (UID) number project, is expected to be used across a variety of industries in the near future, which should reinforce the acceptability of the UID, said Nandan Nilekani, the man who is almost single handedly taking the ambitious project forward, at the ongoing India Leadership Forum in Mumbai. The forum is hosted by Nasscom.
Aadhaar, despite the several controversies it has sparked, has already enrolled 13 crore people and is on its way to complete its initial target of 20 crore individuals over the next few weeks, he said.
Unlike other identity cards, which are used for specific purposes (passport for travel, PAN card for taxes, voter card for voting in polls), Aadhar, or UID, aims to provide overall identity proof.
How broadly it is used will depend on how rapidly it is accepted by other parties, such as banks or mobile phone service providers.
For example, a bank can use UID to open bank accounts, while a telecom company can accept UID for selling SIM cards.
The services of Aadhar will be free until December 2013 after which minimal charges will be applied. Fifteen countries have shown interest in adapting similar technologies, Nilekani said.
In India, this project is halfway on the road to success. Its ultimate fate will result on how widely used it becomes.