[Reader-list] Nilekani to quit Infosys, lead UIDAI - 132

[Taha Mehmood]

http://www.utvi.com/news/latest-business-news-india/25715/nilekani-to-lead-national-id-scheme.html

Nilekani to quit Infosys, lead UIDAI
Amritanshu Rai and Himani Kaushik, UTVi

NEW DELHI: Improving governance is top of the agenda for the
government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has appointed Infosys
co-chairman Nandan Nilekani as chairperson of Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIDAI).

Nilekani will enjoy the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister. The
authority will issue unique identification card to every citizen, and
will eliminate the need for multiple identification mechanisms.

Nilekani will have to work with various central and state government
agencies to create a citizen database.

To begin with, UIDAI will issue numbers to all voters by building on
the current electoral data. Progressively, other people, including
those below 18 years, will be added to the list. Once this is done, it
is expected to replace several other identification cards issued by
the govt.

Currently, central and state governments issue many cards including
PAN cards, drivers licences, passports, ration cards and provident
fund numbers.

The pilot project is expected to issue the first few cards within an
year. The unique identity scheme will be overseen by an empowered
group. The empowered group will have representatives from all crucial
ministries like the home Ministry, finance ministry, law ministry and
rural development ministry.

The government wants to give benefits to targeted groups but does not
have a consolidated database, UIDAI will be responsible for this data
so that if the government wants to provide food security to the
weakest section, it can pull out information from the newly set-up
authority and disburse benefits to the targeted group.

The challenge for chairman Nandan Nilekani will be to provide these
cards to a billion plus people in three years.

Speaking on the project, Nilekani said: "It is huge challenge both
technologically as well as at the co-ordination level." He added that
the unique number will become a unifier instead of adding one more
card for the citizen.

Nilekani has decided to step down from the board of Infosys after
taking charge of the programme. The board today accepted Nandan's
resignation, which will be effective July 9, 2009. The board placed on
record its deep sense of appreciation for the services rendered by
Nandan Nilekani as co-founder, chief operating officer, chief
executive officer and managing director and co-chairman of the board.

N R Narayana Murthy, chairman and chief mentor, Infosys, said: "We are
glad that an extraordinary individual like Nandan has got an
opportunity to add value to India through this position. As a company
that has always put the interest of the society ahead of itself,
Infosys will accept his absence with a sense of duty to a larger cause
but with deep sadness at the departure of one of her most illustrious
sons. We, the Infoscions, wish him the best in his new assignment."

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman, Planning Commission, said the
scheme would be the largest unique identification system across the
world once it is implemented..

He added that the scheme is absolutely high priority for the
government, and can eliminate multiple identification schemes.

Kris Gopalakrishnan, chief executive officer, Infosys, said Nilekani
would continue to be a shareholder in Infosys.