The Indian National ID Card Project

geeth · Post by **geeth** » 02 Jul 2009 13:53

>>>Agreed, and is their some policy document which says that when NID comes into picture these can be replaced (as identity proofs) by the NID? Or else NID card would be just adding to the list of "identity proofs" which every citizen now has.

I don't know if I have explained things the way I can see it.

At present, we have PAN Card for the purpose of financial transactions. It is just a number with a photo of the individual. Its implementation was poor (outsourcing also created lot of problem with many people having multiple PAN cards) and the card itself is not technically perfect, in the sense that duplication is not very difficult.

Even with all its shortcomings, PAN card has made the life of tax collectors somewhat easier. Every year they are adding new things / rules to capture more and more tax evaders with just the PAN Number.

So, the scope of having a ID Number nationwide will make e-governance much easier IMO. The Government can add new features as the years pass-by. Capturing tax evaders, Illegal immigrants etc can be done by using stored data from the computer (and not the card). The data stored in the computer can be updated on a continuous basis. With this, we can even track the movement of the individuals. The scope is limitless.

But, to begin with, the Govt should ensure that the First data entry is accurate, so that time is not wasted on correcting the list/data, like that we do in the Voter ID.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 02 Jul 2009 19:40

Before starting grandiose projects like this, the bone headed babus would do well to have a good look at existing multiple cards and remove them...perhaps they dare not because each such card generates legal income, illegal bribes, chances of harrassment and more paperwork to keep more parasites busy....Examples

- why do we need PAN number for Income Tax and also a TAN number for tax deductors (who are also taxpayers anyway and have PAN)... Now there is talk of UTN number on top of these, god knows what that is supposed to be...
- why is there another DIN number for directors of companies who are all going to have PAN anyway?!
- Of course there is also a ROC number for each company..and a sales tax number and a CST number and a Services tax number and so on...

Sridhar · Post by **Sridhar** » 03 Jul 2009 00:52

George J:

Good to see you on the forum as well. Thanks for the response.

I see the complexities involved in the project, but I still don't see why a cabinet level appointee is needed or whether this is the best use of Nilekani's talents. This is meant to be a 3-month project (of course like anything in India, this is a gross underestimation of the time required and hence will stretch out over the next couple of years at least).

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 03 Jul 2009 06:30

To start with, at least for 2-3 yrs they should issue such cards only to those having passports for at least 10 years, MP,MLA, Govt employees, PSU folks, and their children and newborns, IT assesses with 10 year track record and such folks. That crowd itself is in millions that should keep babus busy, also this crowd is more likely to be IT savvy and have access to internet based processing etc. It also keeps babus focussed on the card issuance and technology, not proof of citizenship/identity issues which are controversial and with least risks.

While they sort out fool proof procedure and protocol in terms of establishing identity, citizenship etc. for the rest.

Else we will have 480m Pakis and Banglas standing first in queue to get this card.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 03 Jul 2009 08:05

If a physical card is deemed necessary, maybe they can get Visa, Mastercard and American Express to chip in. The banks will get business, and the government will get both a subsidy on the cost and a reduction in black money as people start using the cards to charge stuff.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 03 Jul 2009 22:51

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/dis ... d=13962574

FOR Chanda, a middle-aged mother of two, moving to Delhi last year involved a trade-off. It brought her employment on the capital’s roads, for which she earns 2,000 rupees ($41) a month; in her village in Madhya Pradesh (MP) she could find no work at all. But Chanda and her family lost the state benefits—cut-price wheat, rice and cooking-oil—they had been receiving because, though they are still eligible to receive alms, the BPL (“below-poverty line”) card with which she claimed for them in MP is not recognised in Delhi. Nor is her voter-registration card, which allows her to vote only in her native village. Though all-too apparent, squatting under plastic sheeting on a Delhi pavement, she and her children are officially invisible.

Among India’s roughly 100m internal migrants, there are many like them: without documentation to enforce their claims on the state or, alas, to protect themselves from its abuses. India recognises at least 20 proofs of identity, including birth certificates, caste certificates, tax codes, driving-licences and so on, but none universally. Hence a bold scheme to issue a new biometric identity card to the whole 1.2 billion population.

Some of the practical complexities of living in India that the National ID Card aspires to address...

In the language of his former profession, Mr Nilekani foresees his “Unique Identity Authority of India” as a vast server loaded with biometric and other details of every Indian, which will be accessed using the new identity card. The system would be used by central, state and local government bodies, so the cardholder’s identity could be swiftly confirmed for a host of purposes—dispensing welfare benefits, issuing passports, updating land records and so forth.

By boosting technology and co-operation across the bureaucracy, this would seem to promise improvements throughout India’s moribund public sector. It might also provide the standard form of identification for opening a bank account, a humdrum pleasure that two-thirds of Indian households have yet to enjoy. Daring to look further, Mr Nilekani imagines the system inspiring Indian service providers to develop new technologies to take fuller advantage of it. Thus, for example, it might help give Indians a wider range of financial services. “The technology we have available to us at our stage of development,” he argues, “was not available to America and Europe [at the same stage in their development], and we have to take advantage of that.”

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 05 Jul 2009 23:48

The week article:

National ID card

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 06 Jul 2009 18:17

UIDAI gets 120 Cr in this budget - and the first cards are set to roll out within the next 12-18 months - perhaps they plan to start small to work out kinks in the technology implementation, and then scale-up gradually..

http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2009-10/bs/speecha.htm

(Point 64)

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 08 Jul 2009 17:27

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 752710.cms

The pilot phase of the National ID card...

NEW DELHI: Government will issue identity cards to "usual residents" of 3,331 coastal villages in nine states and four Union Territories by March 2010 as part of its drive to strengthen security in coastal areas, Home Minister P Chidambaram informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, he said the proposal to issue smart card-based IDs to all such residents in these areas has come in the wake of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

The ID cards would be issued in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal and Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry.

"The scheme will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, 3,331 villages will be covered during 2009-10," he said adding about 1.2 lakh population would be covered in the first phase.

The remaining coastal areas will be covered in the second phase which will be done along with 2011 Census, he said.

AjayKK · Post by **AjayKK** » 09 Jul 2009 16:10

"National ID : Identifying non-citizens and tackling them will be the responsibility of the state government.”

New Delhi: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday admitted in the Rajya Sabha that illegal foreign nationals had assimilated into the local population along the coast of Maharashtra.

He was replying to a supplementary question on Multi-Purpose Identity Cards by Shiv Sena MP Bharat Kumar Raut who had questioned the commencement of supply of I-cards in 3,331 coastal villages in 9 coastal states and 4 Union Territories without tackling the problem of illegal foreign nationals

Raut : “An estimated 10,000 foreign nationals [mainly Bangladeshis] operate on the coast of Maharashtra. They have bought fishing trawlers and operate freely. Now the Union home minister has also confirmed it.”

“I agree with the member, but the responsibility of the Centre is limited to issuing smart-card-based identity cards to ‘usual residents’. Identifying non-citizens and tackling them will be the responsibility of the state government.”

The ID cards would be issued in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal, and the Union territories of Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry.

“The scheme will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, about 1.2 lakh persons in 3,331 villages will be covered in 2009-10,” the minister said.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 09 Jul 2009 16:28

“I agree with the member, but the responsibility of the Centre is limited to issuing smart-card-based identity cards to ‘usual residents’. Identifying non-citizens and tackling them will be the responsibility of the state government.”

Now I am 400 % sure CPI(M) will win next election in West Bengal.... may be even in Maharashtra.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 10 Jul 2009 09:04

I suppose state governments can refuse to recognise this new id as proof of citizenship if they have concerns about non-citizens acquiring them. A more pertinent question is if the passport office aka Central Government accept this id as proof of citizenship?

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 10 Jul 2009 12:43

vera_k wrote:I suppose state governments can refuse to recognise this new id as proof of citizenship if they have concerns about non-citizens acquiring them.

I hope I am not sounding too pessimistic. Looks like this NID may also add up to the "pack of cards" which we all cary (PAN,Passport,DL,Ration card et.al). PC is passing the buck by stating that the State Governments have to weed out non-citizens. Fat chance the state governments will take up that task.

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 10 Jul 2009 15:39

http://business.rediff.com/column/2009/ ... tabase.htm

Contrary to what some may think, various agencies of the state will continue to use their own database for their activities; the only change will be that each record in the many different databases will have the national ID number added to it.

In other words, there will continue to be a passport database with the external affairs ministry, a PAN database with the finance ministry, a terrorist database with the home ministry, a BPL database with the state governments, the election commission's voters database, and so on. Each of these databases will eventually have one more piece of information -- the national ID number.

Interesting to say the least. So now we have

A statement for Mr. Nilekani and other reports that say that it is not his mandate to do the verification of citizenship
The different IDs such as PAN etc will still exist and most likely still demanded by the babu

So, going by the reports, the 2 major "problems" that are supposed to be solved by the card viz. proving you are a citizen and reducing the number of IDs are not going to be addressed. So, again, what is the purpose of this card? What "problem" is it going to solve as my advisor was fond of saying?

BTW, do read through the article, lists the practical problems very well. And no one seems to be addressing the elephant in the room: How do you ensure that only eligible persons are assigned this ID when the mechanism for doing so is the same that has cocked up in the past in cases of election ID, ration card etc.?

Of course for Rahul Mehta , this is all TRIVIAL onlee.

AjayKK · Post by **AjayKK** » 10 Jul 2009 18:21

My 2 paisa.

What "problem" is it going to solve is not clear yet.
Eventually, some problem will arise which the ID will claim to solve.
Does the bid go to one or many s/w ?
Everyone from Infy to Israeli companies have thrown themselves into the fray.
If it is divided among more than one bidder, it will surely be a NREGS for S/W folks.

Rahul Mehta · Post by **Rahul Mehta** » 10 Jul 2009 21:00

Tanaji wrote:BTW, do read through the article, lists the practical problems very well. And no one seems to be addressing the elephant in the room: How do you ensure that only eligible persons are assigned this ID when the mechanism for doing so is the same that has cocked up in the past in cases of election ID, ration card etc.?

In the round-1, National ID system is ONLY Person-ID system and not citizen-ID system.

If done properly and within 1 year, National ID can reduce new coming BDites.

---

Later, using Juries and DNA data, BDites can be identified and kicked out.

JwalaMukhi · Post by **JwalaMukhi** » 12 Jul 2009 01:26

Rahul Mehta wrote: In the round-1, National ID system is ONLY Person-ID system and not citizen-ID system.
If done properly and within 1 year, National ID can reduce new coming BDites.
---
Later, using Juries and DNA data, BDites can be identified and kicked out.

BD should've been no problem at all. In fact, the problem lies in SDRE, who worships too much of the oxbridge agenda and meticulously accepts the map in eternity and feels the demarcations done as natural barriers.

Even the BDites, have enuf temerity to disregard the artificial map drawn by the whims of oxbridge brigade. When SDREs removes the blinkers and indulges consistently in setting the map redrawn to its natural path, then chicken area, nay BD itself would be a temporal abberation. India's eastern flank is easy to fix: just remove the oxbridge blinkers and worshipping of lines drawn by erstwhile colonizers.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 15 Jul 2009 17:37

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS ... 777405.cms

Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, who has given up his corporate career for a stint with the government, arrived in the Capital on

Tuesday and immediately got cracking on his new job with a stopover at the oil ministry. The reason: The Unique Identification Authority of India chairman thinks the huge database of cooking gas customers and kerosene dealers maintained by state-run oilmarketing companies could be a good starting point for creating citizens ID-cards.

"We will work closely with the petroleum ministry for the task... This is just a preliminary meeting. I am yet to take over officially... I will do that in a day or two. We have a lot of work to do, many mountains to climb... give me some time before I can talk about a timeframe,'' Nilekani said after meeting oil minister Murli Deora, minister of state Jitin Prasada, senior ministry bureaucrats and CEOs of oil firms.

Deora said the ministry was going ahead with launching a pilot project to issue smart cards to cooking gas and kerosene consumers in Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The aim is to track the flow of government dole on kitchen fuels and ensure the needy received it. He said the experience will be shared with Nilekani and the two IDs could be merged once the entire unique system is in place.

JwalaMukhi · Post by **JwalaMukhi** » 16 Jul 2009 05:51

Pranay wrote:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS ... 777405.cms

Deora said the ministry was going ahead with launching a pilot project to issue smart cards to cooking gas and kerosene consumers in Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The aim is to track the flow of government dole on kitchen fuels and ensure the needy received it.

Aha! Aha targetted role to dispense and ration, basic goods. Now, now, BDs are the most needy. How about going back to erstwhile schemes of creating artificial scarcity and hoarding, to keep a tight leash on the population. Control the basic necessities, favor the targetted groups (translattion votes) in name of social justice.

geeth · Post by **geeth** » 16 Jul 2009 09:24

Folks, relax! Have chai biscoot.

There is an article in the Economic Times today, which says that :

1. It will not replace any of the existing Cards like Ration Card, PAN Card, Passport etc. In fact it says anydoby / individual depts can issue any card as they please.

2. It is not mandatory to own the Unique Identity Card!! i.e., if you want it, you can apply for it.

3. It will not be a smart card. Does t mean no biometric identification?? if so, how do you identify the person??

4. The gem is, the card will be issued to these who apply for it...the logic being put forth is, you will find it difficult to apply for various things if you don't have the card. My question is, why the hell a Bangladeshi should apply for this card in the first place, if it is not mandatory??

AND, why the hell should we have a card of this kind in the first place at all? why not continue with status quo anti??

negi · Post by **negi** » 16 Jul 2009 09:32

^ Yep ...

Participation in credit cards is entirely voluntary. This will also be the case with the unique ID scheme. Citizens will not be obliged to get a number. But those that don’t will find it very inconvenient: they will not have access to facilities that require you to cite your ID number.

While idea of just issuing a Unique identifier is fine ; but by not making it obligatory makes little sense.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 16 Jul 2009 09:56

negi wrote:While idea of just issuing a Unique identifier is fine ; but by not making it obligatory makes little sense.

, and for this task we require a person like Nandan Nilekani? This seems to be just another odd card, which is not going to bring in any major change. When PAN card was issued, I remember that again the whole idea propogated was that you require this card for many identification purposes coming down the line. As for me so far the passport have been sufficient for allmost all ID purposes (and PAN for tax filing).

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 16 Jul 2009 10:05

It suddenly seems like a scheme to provide government benefits to BD/Pak persons living in India i.e. people who have to depend on the local politician's good graces to get a ration card.

kittoo · Post by **kittoo** » 16 Jul 2009 11:00

Is there something we can do to highlight the issue that Bangladehis should not get this card? Anything?

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 20 Jul 2009 17:14

India News Digest: Don't Expect An ID Card from Nilekani

The National Authority for Unique Identity, headed by Nandan Nilekani, will aim at providing a unique number to all Indians, but not smart cards.

It's another matter that various ministries may, for their various purposes, choose to issue biometric cards using this unique number. But the Nilekani team itself will focus simply on ways to give all citizens a unique number, and let others issue cards for purposes they think fit.

geeth · Post by **geeth** » 21 Jul 2009 15:16

looks like people are already positioning themselves to make further inroads into the security system already compromised in many ways. GOI should immediately legislate not to give work to companies with foreign partners. Better still would be not to involve private people in this project. They have already screwed it big time in the PAN Card issue few years back.

http://publication.samachar.com/pub_art ... extIndex=3

MGRM, Bell ID form venture for smart cards

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: MGRM Net, a player in the e-governance technology segment, has announced a joint venture with Bell ID, a technology-leader in card application and management solutions. The joint venture is expected to address the emerging opportunities in e-governance and identity management.

Both partners will equip the proposed 50-50 joint venture with their product IPRs, applications and requisite skills to lead this emerging space.

According to MGRM founder KVR Murthy, while MGRM will offer research based integrated e-governance platforms, the Netherlands based Bell ID has experience in managing a portfolio of international customers in key markets.

Bell ID Chairman Pat B Curran said the joint venture would explore smart card related opportunities secured by biometric applications. Both partners saw this venture as a significant investment initiative.

The joint venture would become operational in the next quarter as soon as it completed the necessary formalities a source said. An operational team is expected to step in as early as next month.

Bell ID, which has expertise in managing ID programme in diverse geographies, offers government ID solutions including national ID card schemes and e-passport solutions.

satya · Post by **satya** » 21 Jul 2009 16:25

As per sources : there are roughly 2 crore B'deshis in India and all of them will get Indian Nationality , its already decided . Maybe (?) sometime in future , we may tighten our border with B'desh till then they will be allowed to come & settle in India . Take it anyway but its happening & will continue as a policy unannounced yet in motion

pankaj · Post by **pankaj** » 22 Jul 2009 16:28

From an INFOSCION to a POLITICION - Nandan's Chronicles - 2

Continuing my tryst with capturing the life and times of Nandan Nilekani in his new avatar as a Cabinet Minister, here is what he had penned after his first day in the Parliament. The last entry stopped when the House was just about to begin. Let’s see what happened thereafter….

The House was in pin drop silence. I was brimming with anticipation and excitement!!!! Manmohan had informed me that my introduction was one of the important points of the agenda. I hoped that I will be able to make my speech properly. After so many interviews and conferences, I was nervous today!!!! After the Speaker indicated that the proceedings of the House could begin, Manmohan formally introduced me to the entire House. He mentioned that as the head of the Unique Identification Authority of India, I was responsible to ensure that each and every Indian had a digital smart card as a proof of his existence.

Manmohan spoke about why I was selected and also some references to the various projects executed by me in Infosys were mentioned. The House listened with rapt attention. I was asked to say a few words and I did exactly the same!!! I thanked the Government of India for having given me this opportunity and I assured the House that I would strive to successfully deliver this project. The Speaker then formally inducted me into the House and before the proceedings could move any forward, there was a small commotion on the other side of the hall.

It was Minister of Textiles who had a comment to make before the next point on the agenda. He made a request that I should be attired in a more austere way instead of a flashy suit. It did not go well with the image of a minister who should live to serve the common man and should be less ostentatious in his habits. I stood up to reply. I offered my apologies to the Honourable Minister and assured that I shall be in a more acceptable dress next time. I felt that he was right. We also used to have corporate dress code in Infosys. So it's here as well!!!!

I sat down and felt somebody nudging me. I turned around and to my surprise; it was the former Indian skipper and one of my favourite batsman Mohd. Azharuddin. I remembered that he had recently won the elections. I smiled at him and mentioned to him that I used to like his game very much, shaking his hand. No Rolex, I noticed. Azhar told me that he would “fix” me an appointment with an Italian designer who had designed his dapper Kurta suit. An Italian designer in Milan doing Kurtas!!!!! I made a note of this and reminded myself to give this example to Friedman for his next book,” The World Markets are flattened”.

Since there was no doubt about the “Fixational” capacities of Azhar, I told him to give me the details and I would consider. The proceedings of the House went on with numerous bills being debated and passed as I sat as a passive audience waiting for my project’s turn to come up. After the lunch break, it was the moment for me!!!!

MY PROJECT”S FIRST REVIEW CAME UP FOR PRESENTATION.

I was at sea. My laptop did not have any reserve power. I went to Manmohan and apprised him of the situation. I was sweating. He calmly replied that this would not be a cause of concern. I was flummoxed!!!! The Speaker asked me to explain to the House on what were my plans for the Unique Identity Project. I replied that I have a plan prepared for 30-60-90-120 days’ milestones and I have presentation to make for which I need a power socket, a projector and a screen. I had no idea what was going to happen after this.

The next couple of minutes were a complete jolt for me. I was completely in a tizzy. Let me just summarize what happened. A Joint Cabinet Secretary Committee was set up to judge the feasibility of my request. The Under Secretaries for the Ministries of Power, IT and Broadcasting will prepare a Viability Report after scrutinizing National Security threats to my request. This was because the power socket comes under Power, laptop comes under IT and projector comes under Broadcasting. I have also been told to reconsider my timelines of 30-60-90 days and start thinking in terms of years. Probably, they are right. I did not have the foresight in this matter.

The summary of the issue is that I need to come up with a more inclusive, democratic, comprehensive long term plan for this project to be executed over the next five years. I have also been given a presentation slot 3 months from now (by which the issues related to the power cord etc will also be resolved). I am filled with mixed reactions. I was planning for a quick resolution; the management wants a strategic solution. I come out of the House and text Murthy.

“You won’t believe it but these guys work just like us. I am on a NATIONAL BENCH for the next three months!!!!!!!!”

AnimeshP · Post by **AnimeshP** » 22 Jul 2009 19:44

pankaj wrote:From an INFOSCION to a POLITICION - Nandan's Chronicles - 2

Continuing my tryst with capturing the life and times of Nandan Nilekani in his new avatar as a Cabinet Minister, here is what he had penned after his first day in the Parliament. The last entry stopped when the House was just about to begin. Let’s see what happened thereafter….

The House was in pin drop silence. I was brimming with anticipation and excitement!!!! Manmohan had informed me that my introduction was one of the important points of the agenda. I hoped that I will be able to make my speech properly. After so many interviews and conferences, I was nervous today!!!! After the Speaker indicated that the proceedings of the House could begin, Manmohan formally introduced me to the entire House. He mentioned that as the head of the Unique Identification Authority of India, I was responsible to ensure that each and every Indian had a digital smart card as a proof of his existence.

Manmohan spoke about why I was selected and also some references to the various projects executed by me in Infosys were mentioned. The House listened with rapt attention. I was asked to say a few words and I did exactly the same!!! I thanked the Government of India for having given me this opportunity and I assured the House that I would strive to successfully deliver this project. The Speaker then formally inducted me into the House and before the proceedings could move any forward, there was a small commotion on the other side of the hall.

It was Minister of Textiles who had a comment to make before the next point on the agenda. He made a request that I should be attired in a more austere way instead of a flashy suit. It did not go well with the image of a minister who should live to serve the common man and should be less ostentatious in his habits. I stood up to reply. I offered my apologies to the Honourable Minister and assured that I shall be in a more acceptable dress next time. I felt that he was right. We also used to have corporate dress code in Infosys. So it's here as well!!!!

I sat down and felt somebody nudging me. I turned around and to my surprise; it was the former Indian skipper and one of my favourite batsman Mohd. Azharuddin. I remembered that he had recently won the elections. I smiled at him and mentioned to him that I used to like his game very much, shaking his hand. No Rolex, I noticed. Azhar told me that he would “fix” me an appointment with an Italian designer who had designed his dapper Kurta suit. An Italian designer in Milan doing Kurtas!!!!! I made a note of this and reminded myself to give this example to Friedman for his next book,” The World Markets are flattened”.

Since there was no doubt about the “Fixational” capacities of Azhar, I told him to give me the details and I would consider. The proceedings of the House went on with numerous bills being debated and passed as I sat as a passive audience waiting for my project’s turn to come up. After the lunch break, it was the moment for me!!!!

MY PROJECT”S FIRST REVIEW CAME UP FOR PRESENTATION.

I was at sea. My laptop did not have any reserve power. I went to Manmohan and apprised him of the situation. I was sweating. He calmly replied that this would not be a cause of concern. I was flummoxed!!!! The Speaker asked me to explain to the House on what were my plans for the Unique Identity Project. I replied that I have a plan prepared for 30-60-90-120 days’ milestones and I have presentation to make for which I need a power socket, a projector and a screen. I had no idea what was going to happen after this.

The next couple of minutes were a complete jolt for me. I was completely in a tizzy. Let me just summarize what happened. A Joint Cabinet Secretary Committee was set up to judge the feasibility of my request. The Under Secretaries for the Ministries of Power, IT and Broadcasting will prepare a Viability Report after scrutinizing National Security threats to my request. This was because the power socket comes under Power, laptop comes under IT and projector comes under Broadcasting. I have also been told to reconsider my timelines of 30-60-90 days and start thinking in terms of years. Probably, they are right. I did not have the foresight in this matter.

The summary of the issue is that I need to come up with a more inclusive, democratic, comprehensive long term plan for this project to be executed over the next five years. I have also been given a presentation slot 3 months from now (by which the issues related to the power cord etc will also be resolved). I am filled with mixed reactions. I was planning for a quick resolution; the management wants a strategic solution. I come out of the House and text Murthy.

“You won’t believe it but these guys work just like us. I am on a NATIONAL BENCH for the next three months!!!!!!!!”

Nice find ... the last line is a killer

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 25 Jul 2009 03:13

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS ... 817206.cms

Micrisoft wants to participate in the UID project...

JwalaMukhi · Post by **JwalaMukhi** » 25 Jul 2009 04:16

drum rolls please. Pork barrell scheme and kickbacks season for vested interests. Didn't take long for vultures to descend, with vanguard of agents (brown sahibs) guarding the fresh kill.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 25 Jul 2009 09:46

^^^

Brown sahib being the newly appointed minister, I presume?

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 31 Jul 2009 09:24

x-posted from TSP thread:

Counterfeiting of Indian currency by Pakis is becoming a huge problem. Need to move to a cashless system. One possibility - link mobile-phone accessible bank accounts to the UID, and make it easy to make micro-payments via mobile phones. Should also be possible to equip phones with finger-print based locks. A side effect will be to make corruption and black money more difficult. Should also tie this in with a digital signature system.

--------------------------------
Watch out, you may be holding a fake Rs 500 note
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS ... 839715.cms

Around Rs 1,69,000 crore of fake money is in the system. And it's growing. TOI looks into the growing threat.

* Last month when Maharashtra Crime Branch and Anti-terrorism Squad sleuths caught six persons with counterfeit currency worth over Rs 9 lakh, they themselves couldn't make out the difference between the fake and genuine notes. "They have 95% features of genuine notes," says an official. The provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) have been invoked -- for the first time against fake currency.

* Zahoor Ahmad Mir of Rawalpora, Srinagar, withdrew Rs 2,000 from an ATM. He was told by a shopkeeper after his weekend shopping that the currency was fake. A frantic Zahoor rushed to the bank, the ATM of which had coughed up the 500-rupee notes. "But the bank officials refused to accept it. They suspected I had got the fake note from somewhere else," he says.

The proliferation of fake Rs 500 notes has just got bigger. You never know when you are holding one — or more. Even ATMs are disgorging them, indicating the counterfiets are so good that bankers are failing to detect them. Despite measures taken by RBI, the home ministry and intelligence agencies, the fear of the fake has grown — from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Gujarat to Assam.

Officials say there's a high volume of fake notes of Rs 100, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in the market, and that they have had limited success so far in controlling their spread. The Naik Committee, set up to assess the menace of fake currency, says counterfeit money in the range of Rs 1,69,000 crore is sloshing around the system. And just a tiny fraction of it has been seized: Rs 63 crore.

Both the government and common people are aware of the problem, but feel ill equipped to deal with it. In Chandigarh, traders, banks employees and petrol pump attendants turn suspicious whenever they get a Rs 500 note. "A petrol station attendant refused to accept the Rs 500 note I gave him and warned me about the glut of fake notes in the market," said Rajinder Singh, a resident of Sector-27. Even in Delhi, shopkeepers take extra time in accepting high denomination notes. They first hold a note against bright light and ensure that a watermark is intact.

Many in Kerala are worried over outsourcing loading of currency in the ATMs to private agencies. "My salary account is with a private bank and I also have a savings account with SBI. Lest I should get a counterfeit note, I have now started transferring money only by cheques," says A K Nair, a government employee.

"The extent of the problem can be gauged from the huge gap between actual seizures and circulation of fake Indian currency notes (FICN). Although several steps have been taken by the finance ministry and RBI, weeding out FICNs may take long," says a senior home ministry official. According to security agencies, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have reported the maximum seizure of fake notes in recent years. The latest haul in Ghaziabad, Noida and Meerut reveal how organized gangs, said to be funded by Pakistan, have penetrated right up to Delhi's borders.

Shopkeepers' associations in Delhi are actively involved in monitoring the counterfeits, many of which come out of ATMs and banks. Says Sanjeev Mehra, president of Delhi's Khan Market Traders' Association, "Every shopkeeper has been issued a circular listing 10 ways of detecting a fake note. The local bank in the market has an officer posted for this very purpose."

Experienced shop-keepers feel the texture of the note, particularly when it's of a large denomination, and hold it under lights to see the water-mark. However, if this year's three major seizures — amounting to over Rs 35 lakh — in UP and Maharashtra are any indication, it's the quality of FICN that has alarmed the security agencies. The paper, say intelligence sleuths, is almost identical to the original, which makes their identification very tough.

The UP STF suggests most of these notes were printed in the security press at Malir Cantonment in Karachi and three other printing presses in Pakistan. Maharashtra's security agencies, too, believe that the fake notes seized by them were printed in a Pakistan government printing press at Quetta.

Fearful businessmen and shopkeepers are installing machines to check counterfeits. In Kerala, the state-run SUPPLYCO (Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited) with 12 petrol pumps has issued specific instructions to its outlets to be wary of fake notes.

But there are limitations. For instance, large business outlets that handle heavy transactions can't run a counterfeit check every time it receives cash. "During a hectic day, one can't check every Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 note," says Mujtaba Haaziq, manufacturer of signages in Panaji. "In any case, it's the government's job to tackle the problem," says Barnabe Sapeco, a well-known Panaji restaurateur.

The police say arresting the carriers has not taken them to FICN masterminds. "The carriers are briefed on a need-to-know basis and are not aware of the entire network," said a Maharashtra crime branch official. Intelligence agencies are fairly certain that the brains behind the FICN racket are sitting in Bangladesh and Pakistan. As proof, they cite the seizure of an Indian currency-minting machine in Bangladesh in 2006.

(With inputs from Vishwa Mohan & Richi Verma (Delhi), Mateen Hafiz (Mumbai), Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui (Lucknow), Anantha Krishnan, (Thiruvananthapuram), Anand Bodh (Chandigarh) and Gauree Malkarlekar (Panaji)

prateeksudan · Post by **prateeksudan** » 06 Aug 2009 21:52

what BS is this ?

Angre · Post by **Angre** » 08 Aug 2009 02:43

Ouch!
Don't know if this has been posted here before.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 13 Aug 2009 02:51

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news ... 886915.cms

NEW DELHI: A single random number will establish your identity. It will carry no "intelligence" but do away with use of ration cards, passports and driving licences as ID proofs. It could save Rs 20,000 crore by eliminating fake and duplicate identities under various government schemes.

In a presentation to the PM's council on the unique identity project, its chairman Nandan Nilekani said the authority would aim to provide 600 million people, or about half the population, ID numbers in four years. The first UIDs will be issued in 12-18 months. Though covered by a legal framework, it would not be mandatory to have a unique ID number.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 13 Aug 2009 14:33

Pranay wrote:It will carry no "intelligence" but do away with use of ration cards, passports and driving licences as ID proofs.

Does this mean that the National ID would be similar to a PAN Card. Another number, another laminated ID card with a photograph of the holder, and may be some other details which can be read by eyes? The feeling I get is that the agencies are still to decide on what exactly they want out of this whole excercise.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 14 Aug 2009 12:39

If they go by the US model, all that the resident will get a 10-11 digit number printed on security paper. You will know your number and the government will have your number, address and any other information it cares to collect (like fingerprints, DNA sample). Both parties will then use the number for any transactions between the government and the resident.

If the resident applies for identity services like a passport, driving license or a government id, they will be issued a physical card with identifying information to service that request. The government will ask the resident to submit the biometric again at this time to establish identity using previously stored biometric information.

prateeksudan · Post by **prateeksudan** » 15 Aug 2009 18:10

why you guys are ignoring my post.YOu should oppose this totalitarian national id cards.This is even more govt control.

here are some articles agsint national id
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stori ... ity-cards/

http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2616/st ... 604900.htm

and read the bible revelations 13

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 15 Aug 2009 18:58

prateeksudan wrote:why you guys are ignoring my post.YOu should oppose this totalitarian national id cards.This is even more govt control.

here are some articles agsint national id
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stori ... ity-cards/

http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2616/st ... 604900.htm

and read the bible revelations 13

India is a secular country and why the hell we need to read the bible revelations 13 or 20000 to support or oppose the national id card. You post some drivel and on top of that hide behind "government control" and then ask the members to not ignore you.