Smart Cards with finger biometrics
Every citizen in India after the next census in 2011 is to be issued finger biometrics and photographs integrated with their individual records in the Multi-Purpose National Identity Cards (MNIC).
It has been proposed that data collection for preparation of National Population Register (NPR) for the country would be undertaken along with the 2011 census, mostly because the logistical and financial requirement for the national roll-out will be “enormous”,.
Every citizen above 18 years of age will be given the new Smart Cards which will carry a National Identity Number.
A senior MHA official said
The new initiative seeks to address emerging security related concerns of the Border Management Division of the Union Home Ministry.
The fund will be utilised to undertake development of indigenous technology for multi-lingual data search, extraction and matching of finger print.
The Smart Cards will be produced by a consortium of central public sector undertakings (CPSUs), after being awarded the project this year.
This MNIC project runs in parallel to the Unique Identification Scheme being implemented by the Department of Information Technology at the request of the Planning Commission.
The electoral roll database of the Election Commission is used for functioning of the scheme, under which a resident database would be created for better targeting of Government-sponsored programmes and schemes.
