M A I N   N E W S

UID-NPR row: PM convenes meeting of stakeholders, both projects likely to go on
Aditi Tandon/TNS

The NPR Project

n The National Population Register is a digital database with identity details of all individuals, along with photos and finger biometrics n It would result in creation of a biometrics-based identity system in the country n Existence of such a database will enhance the efficacy of providing services, improve security and check identity fraud n The approved project cost is Rs 3539.24 crore

New Delhi, January 25
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today called a meeting of stakeholders involved in the National Population Register (NPR) and Unique Identification Authority (UID) projects to prepare meeting ground between the squabbling factions ahead of the Cabinet meeting rescheduled for Friday.

After the meet attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani and National Security Adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Menon, signals abounded on the likely continuation of both the projects.

Ahluwalia told reporters after the deliberations, “There is an agreement that both the projects can move ahead and ways can be found to avoid avoidable duplication… That was the issue. We hope we will have a resolution in the Friday Cabinet meeting.”

The question is - whether extra burden on the exchequer on account two projects collecting biometric data of the same population can be avoided? Home Minister Chidambaram had earlier written to the PM raising concerns over the reliability of UID data.

The Home Ministry has also said the NPR scheme approved by the Cabinet was actually mandated to collect biometric data of the entire 1.2 billion population and the UID is duplicating the mandate.

Inquiries reveal that the Registrar General of India has so far collected the biometrics of one crore Indians and is confident of meeting the mid 2013 deadline for 1.2 billion. It has been processing 20 lakh forms a month whereas the UIDAI says it can issue 10 lakh Aadhar cards in a day.

Since the first Aadhar was issued in September 2010 in Maharashtra, the UIDAI has issued over 10 crore Aadhars as on December 31, 2011. The issue, therefore, is whether the NPR can offer data to UIDAI in time for the UIDAI to use it for service delivery through issuance of unique identity numbers. The Cabinet mandate for the NPR said: “Once finalised, the NPR database will be sent to the UIDAI for biometric de-duplication and assigning of a unique identification number. This UID number will be added to the NPR database.”

But the NPR - UIDAI synergy was never achieved and the latter started collecting its own biometric data through multi registrar system. RGI sources today said their mandate to continue with the NPR was clear and it was the UIDAI continuation which has to be debated by the government.