14/10/2015 Theaimisinclusion'

Volume28Issue24::Nov.19
Contents
Dec.02,2011
INDIA'SNATIONALMAGAZINE
fromthepublishersofTHEHINDU

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G.SRINIVASAN
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settings.
BYSPECIALARRANGEMENT

R.S.Sharma.Hesaysfingerprintspresentachallenge.

INthemassivetaskofgivingindividualresidentsofthecountrya
uniqueidentitynumber,theUniqueIdentificationAuthorityof
India(UIDAI)isthesoleprojectoperator.TheDirectorGeneral&
MissionDirectoroftheauthority,headquarteredinthecapital,
R.S.Sharma,anaffableandactivefunctionaryoverseeingeight
regionalofficesacrossthecountry,sparedtimetospeakto
Frontline.

TherehasbeencriticismthattheNationalPopulationRegistry
(NPR),createdaspartoftheCensus2011operationswithan
enrolmentprocesssimilartothatoftheUIDAI,wouldleadto
duplicationofworkatpublicexpense.R.S.Sharmaisconfident
thatthebenefitswilloutweighthecosts.Askedhowtheproject
wasprogressing,hesaidalltargetssofarhadbeenmet.Excerpts
fromtheinterview:

Howfarhaveyouprogressed?

Wehaveatentativetargetof20crore[200million]enrolments.
Weshouldbeabletoachievethisbecausewehavealready
receiveddataofabout12crorepeople.Inthefield[dataof]14
croremayhavebeenreceivedbecausethereisatimelaginthe
dataentryprocess.

Whataretheglitches?
Therearesomeplaceswhereallfacilitiesareavailable,whilein
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14/10/2015 Theaimisinclusion'

Therearesomeplaceswhereallfacilitiesareavailable,whilein
otherplacesnoinfrastructureorpowerisavailable.Logistical
challengesaresignificant,especiallyinbackwardregionssuchas
somedistrictsofmyownState,Jharkhand.Despitetheseodds,
thereishugeenthusiasmamongthepeople.Inonecentre,there
arefourmachinesthatcanenrolapproximately200peopleone
kitdoes50enrolmentsinaday.Ifyouhave500peoplestanding
inthequeue,itisclearthat300willgoback,andthisisactually
averybadthingbecausetheywaitbeforegoingback.Weare
tryingtodevisemethodssuchastokensthatareissued
beforehand.WehaveintroducedinurbanareassuchasDelhian
onlineappointmentsystem.

Thebiometricattributesoftheresidentsaregoingtobeusedasa
basicsignaturefordeduplicationandtoensureuniqueness.The
UIDAIhasdecidedthattheface,all10fingerprintsandbothiris
scansshouldbecollectedatthetimeofcapturingbiometric
detailsoftheresidents.Thiswaywewillbeabletoensure
uniquenessoftheIDs.Theotherchallengewefaceisthequality
offingerprints.Capturingfingerprints,especiallyofmanual
labourers,isachallenge.Thequalityoffingerprintsisbad
becauseoftheroughexterioroffingerscausedbyhardwork,and
thisposesachallengeforlaterauthentication.

Wearecreatinganinfrastructurebywhichonewillbeableto
authenticatehimselforherselfthroughamobiledevice.Ifyou
enteryourname,numberandfingerprintinthemobile,allthis
goestoourdatacentrewherewewillcheckthesedetails.For
manuallabourers,thisauthenticationwillbedifficultbecauseonly
oneortwoofthe10fingerprintsmaybegood.

Itmayhappenthatyoumayhaveaverygoodfingerprintbutthe
methodofcapturingissloppy.Thatagaincausesproblemsof
authentication.Wewillbeabletoensuretheaccuracyin99per
centofthecasesbecauseoftheotherbiometricdetails.Evenif
thefingerprintsdonotwork,theirisscanswill.Issuingaunique
identitywillnotbeamajorproblem.Butauthenticationwillbe,
becausefingerprintisthebasicmodeofauthentication.

Whyisthereamultiplicityofregistrars?

NPRdatawouldbealignedwithours.Whatyourefertomaybe
theexistenceofmultipleregistrars,whichmightescalatecostand
duplication.ThisissuehasbeentakentotheCabinetCommittee
onUIDpresidedoverbythePrimeMinister.Itsmembersinclude
thePlanningCommissionDeputyChairmanandtheHome
Minister.Wehavethemandatetocollect[dataof]upto20crore
[people],whichwearecompleting.Thereafter,whowilldothe
collectionandhow,areissuesthattheCabinetwilldecide.

HowwilltheUIDnumberhelppeoplelivingonthemargins?

Itisameanstoenableaccesstoservices.Inthiscountryitisnot
youandmewhoneedidentitypaperswehavetoomanyof
them.Buttherearemanypeoplewhodonothaveanypapers.
Becauseofthattheyaredeniedaccesstoservices.Wefocuson
peoplewholiveontheperiphery.Wehaveorganisedspecial
campstoensurethatwhenweissue,say,600millionUIDs,they
willincludethosewhoneedthemmost.

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