UIDAI to go strict on issuing numbers

The 12-digit unique identification (UID) number, or Aadhaar, will not have special numbers like 1947 or 1111 that can make the number susceptible to theft or misuse.

Apart from reserving two special values for the first and the last digits, the remaining digits of the number will be generated randomly when one requests a new ID, according to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which is commissioning the job of providing Aadhaars to every resident of the country.

“Historically significant numbers like 1947 will not be given and the first and last two digits of Aadhaar will not be the same. We will not allot VIP numbers to anyone. So, numbers like 1111 or 2222 will not be there,” said an official close to the development.

The UID number will not disclose personal information about the resident including the region, ethnic status and age. It will be a random number that makes guesswork virtually impossible. The number will be semantics-free.

The first digit of the unique number will be called an implicit version number and the last a check digit. The first 11 digits of Aadhaar should support 80 to 100 billion UIDs at the outset.

“Moreover, people can’t ask for numbers of their choice. It will be randomly generated and location agnostic. We will not give vanity numbers. So, you can’t ask for your car number as your UID number. It is only by chance that you may get that number. Also, there are restrictions like no number will be prefixed with zero,” the official added.

UIDAI had planned to issue the first UID number on September 1 in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh but the rollout had been rescheduled and the first number is most likely to be given in Maharashtra.