UIDAI gets new address, to shift soon

The recently established Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has got its official address and is likely to move in soon from its temporary office in the Planning Commission.

The new office is located in the Life Insurance Corporation Building in Connaught Place.

"We have got the possession of the office, which has to be renovated. It will take sometime," UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani told reporters here.

Speaking about his transition from the private sector to the government, Nilekani, who quit software major Infosys to take up the new role, said, he had a very smooth entry.

"I had a very smooth entry (into the government). I have got good support from the PM and his cabinet colleague. Everybody including Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram have been very supportive and they have gone out of way to make me feel comfortable," he said.

Nilekani, who was interacting with the members of the Indian Women's Press Corps, said, "In government, the process of consensus and decision making is far more complex as compared to private sector. So I have had to made some adjustments to accept that reality. But I think, I had good three-four months working on the project."

The former IT czar said the 16-digit unique number to be given to all residents of the country will not confer any rights or citizenship but would just give a plain identity.

He said the ambitious government project, which is expected to roll out the first number in 12-18 months, will cost several thousand crores of rupees.

The UID is designed mainly as an inclusive scheme to benefit the poor and for better targeting of anti-poverty and developmental programmes which are plagued by inadequacies like duplicate and anonymous beneficiaries, he said.

Giving an overview into the kind of biometrics that would be captured for the project, Nilekani, working under the aegis of the Planning Commission, said a final scheme of things would be worked out in three to four months.

Nilekani said a biometrics committee under the leadership of Dr B K Gairola, Director General of National Informatics Centre, has been set up to figure out the options.