Tussle on identity data over; UIDAI, NPR to work together
PTI | 10:01 PM,Jan 27,2012New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) The tussle between the Planning Commission and the Home Ministry over security concerns of the Unique Identification Number project was today resolved with the government extending the mandate for UIADI to collect bio-metric data of additional 40 crore residents. The data collected will be used to issue chip-based smart cards in the country through the National Population Register (NPR) project. Under the formula, worked out at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Nandan Nilekani-led authority will collect data of 60 crore residents in 16 states and Union Territories. It has already been mandated to cover 20 crore people. The bio-metric data for remaining population of over 60 crore will be covered under the Home Ministry's NPR project. Using the bio-metric data collected by both the agencies, a chip-based smart card will be issued to all residents by the Registrar General of India (RGI), which is the implementing authority for the NPR project. "We hope to complete the whole country by June 2013... every resident will have bio-metric and Aadhaar number," Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters after the meeting in the presence of Nilekani and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. In case of "discrepancies between UIDAI data and NPR data, NPR will prevail," Chidambaram said, adding the new system is "as secure as humanly possible." "Aadhaar (issued by UIDAI) is voluntary and NPR is mandatory...It is a government programme," he said, pointing out that there would be negligible duplication of efforts as NPR would be using the data collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). MORE PTI NKD KKS CS SKL VSC
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.
Disclaimer: Network18 Media & Investments Limited is proposing, subject to market conditions and other considerations, an offer of its equity shares on rights basis and has filed a Draft Letter of Offer with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The Draft Letter of Offer is available on the website of SEBI at