Each Citizen in India will be issued with a Unique Identification Number

Each Individual Citizen in India will be issued with a Unique Identity Number (UIN), from February 2011 by “Unique Identification Authority” (UIDA) at a cost of Rs 30 000 Crores.If and when all the Indian Citizens are issued with ‘UIN’, India will become the first country in the world to have such a numbering system.

The unique number will not give any rights or entitlements but can be later used for the purposes of citizenship.

Biometrics will be used to prevent duplication and the authority will keep the same kind of information as is mentioned on voter Id-card.

The project is “massively complex” in nature and the authority will make use of:-

• state governments,
• banks,
• insurance companies and
• other such institutions

as partners in enrolment.

Mr.Nandan Nilekani, Chaiman of “UIDA” explained the above details of the “UIN” in a meeting organised by the “Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training of the Lok Sabha Secretariat”. The meeting was attended by several MPs and officials.