UID will be just a number, not a card: Nilekani

18 Nov 2009

1

Despite holding the rank of a union cabinet minister, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chairman Nandan Nilekani was all business and no politics when he interacted with the students of Chandragupta Institute of Management Patna (CIMP) during his visit to Bihar's capital city yeterday.

Sharing his vision about the unique identification number project, Nilekani said, "It is both a technological and management challenge as we have to provide a unique number to over a billion people. Things are being worked out and we have set the target of delivering the first batch of unique numbers in 18 months time."

Elaborating, Nilekani said, "It is like creating a tank for storing the data, filling it with correct data and ensuring its optimal utilisation. Ensuring that one person does not get more than one number is also a big challenge."

The UIDAI chairman also talked about creating the demand for the UID and said the target was not only to convince people about the importance of UID, so that they could come forward for getting a number, but also to convince other players like central and state governments about its usefulness.

Nilekani also explained the use of biometrics for making the UID tamperproof and said that the goal was to have a system using which on-line authentication of an individual's identity could be ascertained.

One student bowled Nilekani a googly when he asked him to explain the difference he found in the functioning of private and government sectors. But Nilekani handled it with aplomb. "In terms of value proposition, things are almost the same. The only difference is that government functioning is much larger and much diverse compared to a private firm," he said.

Replying to a query whether the introduction of UID would lead to doing away with plethora of cards which one needs these days, Nilekani said, "We are going to issue a number, not a card. This number can be used by different players by mentioning them on the cards they issue to someone."

Latest articles

Senior bankers in PSBs are in firing line: AIBEA

IIT Madras – ISRO to set up Centre of Excellence for research in Fluid and Thermal Sciences

IIT Madras – ISRO to set up Centre of Excellence for research in Fluid and Thermal Sciences

LPG as automobile fuel a solution for Delhi NCR air pollution: IAC

LPG as automobile fuel a solution for Delhi NCR air pollution: IAC

Entry of Starlink and Kuiper could churn India’s telecom sector

Entry of Starlink and Kuiper could churn India’s telecom sector

India building Rs820-cr railway test track in Rajasthan

India building Rs820-cr railway test track in Rajasthan

Rupee falls to 84.37 a dollar as foreign funds withdraw over $2.37 bn from Indian stocks in five days

Rupee falls to 84.37 a dollar as foreign funds withdraw over $2.37 bn from Indian stocks in five days

New central scheme to facilitate guarantee-free loans for higher education

New central scheme to facilitate guarantee-free loans for higher education

Canada ends Student Direct Stream channel for student visas

Canada ends Student Direct Stream channel for student visas

Supreme Court orders liquidation of Jet Airways as debt resolution fails

Supreme Court orders liquidation of Jet Airways as debt resolution fails

Business History Videos

History of hovercraft Part 3 | Industry study | Business History

History of hovercraft Part 3...

Today I shall talk a bit more about the military plans for ...

By Kiron Kasbekar | Presenter: Kiron Kasbekar

History of hovercraft Part 2 | Industry study | Business History

History of hovercraft Part 2...

In this episode of our history of hovercraft, we shall exam...

By Kiron Kasbekar | Presenter: Kiron Kasbekar

History of Hovercraft Part 1 | Industry study | Business History

History of Hovercraft Part 1...

If you’ve been a James Bond movie fan, you may recall seein...

By Kiron Kasbekar | Presenter: Kiron Kasbekar

History of Trams in India | Industry study | Business History

History of Trams in India | ...

The video I am presenting to you is based on a script writt...

By Aniket Gupta | Presenter: Sheetal Gaikwad

view more
View details about the software product Informachine News Trackers