[Reader-list] Creating database UIDAI's main task: Nilekani- 167

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear All,

>From a War to a reflection on that war, from suggestions to
recommendations, from recommendations to feasibility studies,  from
feasibility studies to planning and then to policy and finally to a
Mask, in the last ten years,  it seems, the story of national identity
card in India has come a long way.

Beginning from the Kargil War and thereafter to a group of men
assigned to find the reasons which led to this war, who would have
thought that a small recommendation by a committee constituted exactly
ten years ago, on 29th July 1999 would lead to the creation of a mask
in the name of- Nandan Nilekani .

The Kargil Review Committee also called the Subrahmanyam Committee,
which was chaired by K Subrahmanyam with other members being  B.G
Verghese Satish Chandra and K.K. Hazari. K Subrahmanyam, a former
director of IDSA. B.G Verghese, a senior journalist both were members
of National Security Council Advisory Board [NSCAB]. K Subrahmanyam,
was also the convener of NSCAB. Earlier, on 3rd May 1999, Satish
Chandra, a 1965 batch IFS officer, was made Chairman of Joint
Intelligence Committee, Cabinet Secretariat as Secretary of the
National Security Council Secretariat. While Lieutenant General
(Retd.) K.K. Hazari, was a former Vice Chief of Army Staff.

Nandan is just playing a role. A small but significant part, of that
of a mask. He is merely a face. A face which tells us again and again,
on every platform, using every available source of mass communication
that we need to be numbered. The important thing is that we have to
think and reflect and question and inquire deeply about a small
recommendation buried deep inside the 228 page report. In the
Executive Summary of the KRC under the heading, Civil- Military
Liaison, it  was suggested under a subject head called - steps [to] be
taken to issue ID Cards to border villagers in certain vulnerable
areas on a priority basis, pending its extension to other or all parts
of the State’. The committee further urged that a policy like this
’would also be relevant in the North-East, Sikkim and part of West
Bengal’.

Executive Summary of the Kargil Review Committee Report as presented
in Rajya Sabha, 25 Feburary, 2000. Recommendations. Civil Military
Liaison- http://rajyasabha.nic.in/25indi1.htm#8

If this was initially suggested by KRC then whose intelligent idea was
it to encompass the whole nation? Why spend so much amount of money?
Why is a national ID card increasingly appearing like a gross transfer
of money to the IT sector?

All of course invoked in the name of poor. All of course done for the
good of all. While initially the idea was mooted under Civil- Military
Liaison. While the idea came up a suggestion to thwart Kargil-like
situation. Who war is UIDAI fighting?

Pretty ironic, isn't it?

Warm regards

Taha


Creating database UIDAI's main task: Nilekani

http://www.igovernment.in/site/Creating-database-UIDAIs-main-task-Nilekani/

Creating database UIDAI's main task: Nilekani
The database will help government in issuing unique identity cards to
each of the country's 1.17 billion people

Creating database UIDAI's main task: Nilekani
The database will help government in issuing unique identity cards to
each of the country's 1.17 billion people

Published on 7/23/2009 1:09:58 PM


New Delhi: The main task of the Unique Identification Database
Authority of India (UIDAI) would be to create a database that will
help in issuing unique identity cards to each of the country's 1.17
billion people, authority Chairman Nandan Nilekani said here on
Thursday.

Nilekani who took charge as the Chairman of the Unique Identification
Database Authority of India today said this will be a nationwide
system of authentication.

"Identity is important for everyone, especially for the poor. Getting
an identity is a tough job. We will provide a database of residents.
We will have a very simple database in biometrics. We will only have
very basic information," he added.

Nilekani said that the authority will not issue the biometric cards
itself - but the database it is creating will help government agencies
to undertake that task, reports IANS.

The main purpose of the project, he said, was to avert the need for
multiple proofs of identity for citizens while availing any government
service, or for private needs like opening bank accounts or seeking
telephone connections.

It is also expected to enhance national security by helping to
identify illegal aliens.

Nilekani has already met Communications and Information Technology
Minister A Raja and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh
Ahluwalia, seeking their support for the project.

Over the next few weeks, he intends to create the requisite
administrative infrastructure to deal with the ambitious project. "We
will pick up talent from both government and outside. We will also
have biometric experts and others for security and identity
management," he said.