<p>Nandan M Nilekani, who was appointed as head of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI), on Monday said the government would take steps to end ID card duplication leading to fraud and create a network of verification and authentication.<br /><br />"The UIAI would create a centralised, national database of Indian residents," the former Infosys co-chairman said after meeting Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who felicitated him on his new assignment.</p>.<p>The key issue was to ensure that there were no duplicates, he said.</p>.<p>"...the big problem today with identity is that many systems have lot of duplicates which lead to fraud," he said.</p>.<p>The idea is to use bio-metric, fingerprints or whatever to make sure that people have a unique number. The UIAI would then create a national network of verification so that "people can verify that somebody is who he claims he is," he said.</p>.<p>Nilekani parried questions on immediate key challenges for UIAI, saying, "First I have to go and find an office."</p>.<p>On the timeline to complete the project, he said, "Let me go and take stock of the situation."</p>.<p>The UIAI would create a national authentication and enrollment capability and an identity system, an "infrastructure" on which Centre, state governments and private sector can have "value added applications", he said.</p>.<p> Giving an example, he said, a state seeking to implement a scheme can use this database to identify beneficiaries.</p>
<p>Nandan M Nilekani, who was appointed as head of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI), on Monday said the government would take steps to end ID card duplication leading to fraud and create a network of verification and authentication.<br /><br />"The UIAI would create a centralised, national database of Indian residents," the former Infosys co-chairman said after meeting Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who felicitated him on his new assignment.</p>.<p>The key issue was to ensure that there were no duplicates, he said.</p>.<p>"...the big problem today with identity is that many systems have lot of duplicates which lead to fraud," he said.</p>.<p>The idea is to use bio-metric, fingerprints or whatever to make sure that people have a unique number. The UIAI would then create a national network of verification so that "people can verify that somebody is who he claims he is," he said.</p>.<p>Nilekani parried questions on immediate key challenges for UIAI, saying, "First I have to go and find an office."</p>.<p>On the timeline to complete the project, he said, "Let me go and take stock of the situation."</p>.<p>The UIAI would create a national authentication and enrollment capability and an identity system, an "infrastructure" on which Centre, state governments and private sector can have "value added applications", he said.</p>.<p> Giving an example, he said, a state seeking to implement a scheme can use this database to identify beneficiaries.</p>
