Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) exercise to be launched from Andhra Pradesh

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is all set to kick start the most ambitious project of India -- distribution of unique identification numbers to its 1.2 billion people.

Andhra Pradesh has been chosen for the launch of this unique exercise and they hope to start out as early as the first week of September.

Unlike in the Census, there will be no knocking at doors. Instead, enrollment officials will set up stations in different parts of Andhra Pradesh and turn to their kits.

Kits will contain eight essentials — an iris scanner, a fingerprint machine, a camera, a laptop, a computer screen linked to the laptop, an Internet data card, a pen drive and a printer.

The laptop will contain a bilingual software (English and the local language) that runs the whole ID process. The software links to the iris machine, fingerprint machine, camera, recording biometric data and a photograph. The second computer screen is purely for the client who, in the interest of complete transparency, can watch exactly what is being recorded.The software contains a transliteration device so that data entries like names and addresses need be typed in only one language. Eventually, the data will be transmitted to the UIDAI database via the Internet where there will be a de-duplication process after which an unique ID number will be issued. The client will get a printout of the details at the end of the process.

For successful execution of this project, a four-tier structure will govern the actual handing out of UID numbers. At the Centre, the UIDAI will be responsible for coordinating the whole exercise. It will certify technology used across the country, and will hand out numbers from its centralised database. Operationally, state governments will take charge and, therefore, have ownership of the project on the ground.

The state governments will work with authorised registrars (agencies of the state government or banks or even insurance companies) who actually need the UID data for a particular purpose. At level four will be the enrolment agencies (can be either privately or publicly owned) that will collect the data. Currently, the UIDAI has empanelled 220 enrolment agencies across the country.