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Every citizen to get unique number |
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The Manmohan Singh Government moved at long last to take the first step towards building a complete computerized record of all citizens above the age of 18 and giving them a unique identification number. The previous BJP-led NDA government had mooted the idea in 2002, but it did not make much headway. The Manmohan Singh Government had provided a grant of Rs. 100 crore in the interim budget for the programme.
The Government’s plan got a major push on June 25 with the appointment of Infosys Technologies co-chairman Nandan Nilekani to head the authority to steer the ambitious scheme for creating a multipurpose unique identification data base of citizens. He has been given cabinet rank which shows the importance given to the project.
Reports say that provision of citizen IDs will cost Rs. 1.5 lakh crore. Nandan Nilekani, who resigned from Infosys after the Government announcement, said that the first cards under the project may be issued in two years time.
In January this year, the Supreme Court had suggested that the national identity card should be made mandatory for all citizens.
The first step in issuing ID cards is building a complete computerized record of all citizens above the age of 18. It needs to be computerized so that it is accessible and can be updated constantly.
The issue of unique IDs will ensure that benefits of welfare programmes reach the actual beneficiaries and are not siphoned away.
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