UID: Facilitating Identification & Better Targeting

The need to identify individuals arises for most government services, both developmental and regulatory. The absence of a reliable system for such purposes has been an impediment to improving targeting of developmental schemes and reducing leakages in the delivery system.

Consequently, many major individual oriented Government programmes incorporate a provision for collection of information at the individual/family level. In most cases, this is undertaken as a de novo exercise without reference to similar exercises undertaken in the past by other Government Departments and sometimes even by the same department. The absence of a system of updation of such purpose-specific databases and the lack of a system for collaboration amongst such departments are also factors leading inevitably to expensive, time-consuming and error-prone de novo surveys for data collection for each scheme. Consequently, ensuring optimal coverage of individuals under each scheme, avoiding leakages in the system and making it easy for both officials and beneficiaries to identify individuals remains a challenge.

The objective of the Unique ID Project is to create a Core Data Base (CDB) (using the most reliable pre-existing digitized database) which is then regularly updated and is easily accessible to, and used by all departments for identification of residents in the country for various purposes. This CDB would be used for identification of individuals, enabling better delivery of various Government services and leading to better targeting of poverty alleviation and other social welfare scheme to beneficiaries. The UID is intended to be used in the first instance, as the basis for efficient delivery of various social and welfare services to persons below the poverty line (BPL).

The UID operationalisation entails putting in place a set of processes for validation and updation of this database continually, including processes for establishing an ongoing linkage with partner databases such as Rural Household Survey of the MoRD, State PDS databases, etc. This would also enable a shift from de novo exercises to collaborative and incremental efforts by multiple departments.

It is envisaged that the linkage with partner databases and intensity of use of UID (while adhering to a rigorous validation process) by various government agencies for identification of individuals for multiple purposes, would result in emergence of a significantly complete and accurate database of all residents. The system would be easily accessible by both individuals and departments. This would enable shifting of the onus of identification from the citizen onto the government and obviate the need for individuals to produce various kinds of documentary proof of identity for various purposes. Delivery of government services could thus become simpler and less error prone.