[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-41

[Taha Mehmood]

http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May272007/national200705263969.asp

Deccan Herald   	
Sunday, May 27, 2007

National ID card launched
New Delhi, Agencies:

In a move to effectively address emerging security concerns, the
Centre on Saturday, launched the multi-purpose "National Identity
Card" at Narela in the capital city as part of a pilot project which
may eventually be extended throughout the country by issuing a
chip-based smart ID cards to all the citizens.
Registrar General of India Devender Kumar Sikri presented the first
card to a woman resident of Narela in north-west Delhi.
Home Ministry sources said the remaining 2.4 million citizens, who are
covered under the Rs 44.36-crore pilot project in selected
sub-districts of 12 states and one Union territory, would receive the
card by post, before July this year.
"The card would give the citizen a 16-digit ID number and would be
delivered by India Post in a tamper-proof customised cover that is
both waterproof and able to sustain extreme temperatures," an official
of the Registrar General of India said.
Details on card
Costing Rs 60 each, the ID card will carry basic details across
several parametres including educational qualification, place of
birth, photograph and fingerprints of the holder.
A few details would be visible on the card. The remaining information
would be stored in the 16-kbs chip on the card that can be read only
with a reader.
The card is also aimed at helping e-governance by improving the
citizen-Government interface."
Secure
"This is a secure card,'' the sources said, pointing out that it is
being introduced on the basis of the recommendations of a Technical
Committee constituted by the Government.
This committee has representatives from prestigious institutions such
as National Informatics Centre (NIC), IIT Kanpur, Bharat Electronics
Limited (BEL), Indian Telephone Industries Limited (ITI) and
Electronics Corporation India Limited (ECIL) and Intelligence Bureau
(IB).
The scheme will be implemented in the entire country after taking into
account the experiences gained and lessons learnt from the pilot
project, which was launched in 2003 when the BJP-led NDA government
was in power.
States covered
Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Asom, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Goa, Delhi and Tamil Nadu
and Union territory of Puducherry were covered under the pilot
project.