Unique ID project and Population census 2011

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Ahead of Multi-Purpose National Identity Card mega project the government has began the exercise of preparing National Population Register in coastal areas including in Andhra Pradesh as part of steps to beef up maritime security post Mumbai terror attacks.
After covering the coastal areas as part of Unique ID card project preparation of National Registers for Citizens(NRIC) would be taken up in other parts of the Country. As the nation is preparing for 2011 population census experts say that the implementation of NPR project is in perfect timing.
However experts say that preparation of National Population Register will not be an easy task due to the size of the population in the country as well as the lacunae and corrupt practises in the government departments.
NPR will be a gigantic task for the government as the population of the country and state are put at 116 crore and 8.66 crore respectively by the officials on World Population Day. Government is planning to merge the preparation of the electronically-guided National Population Register (NPR) with the 2011 Census officials said.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which was set up by the government
will implement the project. The NRIC would be continuously updated by linking it to the registration of births and deaths The exercise would involve a systematic listing of houses and households followed by canvassing of the schedule for preparation of Population Register. After Population Register Schedules are canvassed, the data entry of Population Register would be done.
Fears of duplication of databases and concerns over possibility of illegal immigrants getting enrolled are now being discussed by the agencies working on the project. Officials fear the verification process of citizenship if not carried out genuinely will lead to a chaotic situation.
For NPR in coastal areas AP Fisheries Department is assisting the centre.
Fisheries Department Additional Director Mr M Ram Gopal Rao said ,"we are assisting the centre in enumeration and making census in coastal villages. As part of NPR the centre will be issuing ID cards to all the fisherman. Apart from that as part of security scheme of the centre the State government is issuing separate ID cards to the fisherman going to the sea. The project is in initial stage. ECIL co-operation is being taken up in this,"
Government also made registration of sea vessels and fishing boats compulsory.
Ministry of Home Affairs has granted Rs 80.78 crore to Registrar General of India in the first phase for the preparation of NPR in the coastal villages. Nine coastal States Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal and four Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry are covered under NPR scheme in coastal areas. Around 3331 villages are covered under this scheme initially.
Additional Director General of Police(Law and Order) Mr A K Khan says ,"After Mumbai attacks the necessity of having a National Population Register in coastal areas have come to the fore. Issuing ID cards to fisherman in coastal villages has assumed significance. This can be useful in identifying the illegal immigrants and terrorists coming from sea route. As the threat to coastal areas has increased this register would be of immense help. The ID can be verified both on land and sea,"
Police say at least two to three lakh people are detained for want of identity in the State every year. The proposed Multi Purpose ID cards will be of great help to the security agencies in easy identification of suspicious persons.
Mr A K Khan opined " Unique ID cards to citizens is an imminent necessity. As per section 41 of Criminal Procedure Code if any person is found moving under suspicious circumstances he can be detained by authorities for want of identity. The police keep on detaining large number of such suspicious persons daily. It would run into a big number raining from two to three lakh in a year. This happens particularly during night time and vehicle frisking. In this process the genuine citizens are also harassed. The National Police Register and Unique ID card will prevent this,"
Mr Khan said ,"when the multipurpose cards are being bough all other cards can be phased out. This document can be used for all purposes. Right now there was lot of harassment and inconvenience to citizen to get a passport or a ration card as he has to prove his identity and address time and time again. Even in the implementation of social security schemes like Aarogyasri and pensions these cards can prove useful,"
Mr Khan allayed the fears of duplication of the Unique ID cards ,"faking of these cards is almost impossible as they will have unique IRIS identification biometric technology.
It is going to be a huge project. It is a great service to the citizens when done,"
The NRIC will be maintained at the centre by the National Office of Citizen’s Registration. This will be continuously updated mainly through the system of registration of births and deaths. The Registrars of births and deaths will send relevant extracts from the births and deaths register periodically to the MNIC Centre to be permanently located at sub-district or sub-town areas. The updating of NRIC would also include updating of change in address, marital status, name.
Hyderabad District Medical and Health Officer Dr Ch Jayakumari says ,"this is not only useful for security situation improvement but also to weed out bogus beneficiaries in the schemes including health and family welfare measures.
A senior official of revenue Department said ,"Several departments in the Centre and State governments may continue to use their own database for implementing schemes. Those databases may be adding the Unique National ID number. The databases with passport office, income tax department, Municipal administration, Road transport authorities will continue to exist,"