[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-39

[Taha Mehmood]

http://pib.nic.in/release/rel_print_page.asp?relid=28238

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Ministry of Home Affairs

FIRST TRANCHE OF MULTI PURPOSE NATIONAL IDENTITY CARDS HANDED OVER TO
THE CITIZENS
  	18:19 IST 	
  	
  	The first set of national identity cards under the Pilot Project on
Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) was handed over to the
citizens of Pooth Khurd at Narela by Shri D.K. Sikri, Registrar
General, India & Registrar General of Citizens Registration, here
today.

A Pilot Project to understand and develop the processes for collection
and management database of citizens as well as for smart card
technology has been under implementation in Andhra Pradesh, Assam,
Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and in the union
territory of Pondicherry. The Pilot Project on MNIC has followed the
census approach for collection of particulars of each individual in
the pilot areas. Alongwith the particulars of individuals, photographs
and finger biometrics have also been collected of all those who are 18
years of age and above.

For management of citizens database, 20 centres have been set up, one
at each Tehsil/Block headquarters equipped with computer terminals and
on-line connectivity. The back-end management of these centres has
been out-sourced to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The
personalization of cards has been entrusted to the Consortium of
Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) comprising Bharat
Electronics Limited (BEL), Electronics Corporations of India Limited
(ECIL) and Indian Telephone Industries (ITI). The design of the card
has been prepared with the help of National Institute of Design and
carries a unique National Identity Number (NIN) for each of the
citizens.

The identity card being given to each individual citizen, has a micro
processor chip with a memory of 16 KB which is a secure card. Besides
having several physical features into the design of the card, it is
the cyber security using 'asymmetric key cryptography' and 'symmetric
key cryptography' that has made the card secure against the risk of
tempering and cloning. The National Informatics Centre has made a
major contribution towards developing the processes for database
management and smart card technology.

The rest of the citizens in the pilot areas shall be delivered cards
by post for which special arrangements have been made with the
Department of Posts for delivery. The cards will be sent to them in a
packet which is tear-proof, temper-proof and waterproof. This has been
specially designed for this project.