First set of UID numbers by next year

The chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, Nandan Nilekani, said government would be rolling out the first set of unique identification numbers in 12 to 18 months.

Nilekani made a video presentation on the UIDs at the Mantralaya on Wednesday evening in the presence of the Madhya Pradesh chief secretary Rakesh Sahni and other bureaucrats.

He emphasised the importance of the UIDs, which he said, would be helpful in ensuring the nation's security and identifying beneficiaries of various government-sponsored schemes.

After the presentation, Nilekani faced a volley of questions from senior bureaucrats on the UID implementation mechanism, its utility and applicability.

Registrars would be appointed to oversee the preparations and implementation of the scheme for the numbers at state level, Nilekani said.

Officials posed various queries on how UID numbers are to be linked to voter identity cards, how database for National Rural Employment Guarantee Act can be used for compiling data etc.

Image: Nandan Nilekani