UIDAI gets 1,900 crore; Nilekani to head new Technology Advisory Group

Government today proposed a nearly 16-fold increase at Rs 1,900 crore for Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) headed by Infosys founder Nandan Nilekani.

While in the last budget the allocation for UIDAI was Rs 120 crore, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in his budget speech today proposed Rs 1,900 crore to it.

The Authority is currently in the operational phase finalising the various aspects for the roll out of the Unique Identification Number to the residents of the country.

"It (UIDAI) will be able to meet its commitments of issuing the first set of UID numbers in the coming year. It would provide an effective platform for financial inclusion and targeted subsidy payments. Since the UIDAI will now get into operational phase, I am allocating Rs 1,900 crore to the Authority for 2010-11," Mukherjee said.
As per the roll-out plan, the first set of 16-digit UID numbers would be out between August this year and February 2011. The Authority has set a target of providing 600 million UIDs in the next five years.

The current proposed allocation of Rs 1,900 crore would be used for procurement of bio-metric devices and vendor services including setting up of secure databanks and collection of the same besides for the pilot project to be started in four states by June.

The UIDAI was established under the aegis of the Planning Commission for which a notification was issued in January last year.

Technology Advisory Group for Unique Projects

"A Technology Advisory Group for Unique Projects (TAGUP) is proposed to be set up under the Chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani for creation of reliable and secure IT projects," Mukherjee announced in his  budget speech.
He said an effective tax administration and financial governance system calls for creation of IT projects which are reliable, secure and efficient.

He listed certain IT projects such as the Tax Information Network, New Pension Scheme, National Treasury Management Agency, Expenditure Information Network and the ambitious Good and Service Tax.

He said the group will look into the various technological and systemic issues.
Nilekani, one of the founders of Indian IT giant Infosys, had left his job last year to join the government in its ambitious plan of rolling out a 16-digit unique identification number to all residents of the country.

Such a large exercise has never been undertaken in any part of the world and the UID will see a close collaboration of private as well as government sector.