India’s Unique Identification project will open up and publish its API (Application Programming Interface) to allow third party applications the ability to authenticate the identity of citizens, Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said today at the India Telecom conference organized by FICCI and India’s Department of Telecom. “We’ll provide online authentication infrastructure, which will allow us to create a platform for innovation. So, you can create your own applications – mobile banking, mobile commerce, education, health, VAS applications, and so forth,” he said.
Nilekani added that the UIDAI is talking to mobile companies, insurance companies, banks, passport offices, Income tax departments – every player that has an identity requirement. The authority intends to host 2-3 “lighthouse” projects to demonstrate how the UID can be used for applications.
“We’re Banking On The Telecom Industry”
“We are going to create apps which will need connectivity: Our whole assumption is that these are online systems, mobile based – it assumes ubiquitous connectivity throughout the country. We are banking on the Telecom Industry to deliver on the promise of connectivity,” he said. The UID data will be accessible to authenticating applications through telecom networks.
The Unique ID Project, which proposes to give each citizen of India a unique identification number, has its head office in Delhi, and plans to have a technology center in Bangalore, 8 regional centers, each working with 3-4 state governments. Nilekani said that they will issue the first set of numbers in 18 months, in 2012, and plan to have 600 million people enrolled in the next five and a half years.
Note: Nilekani said that they have a complete architecture document on the UIDAI website. Download it here. Thanks for the link Uday.
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12 Comments until now.
Nilekani thinks that everything is like running that 'lil outsourcing bodyshop of his. He should be really really careful. We are all watching, listening, evaluating and Medianama (the NOT cut, copy, paste people :)) is always there to check up on him.
is it 600 people in 5 years ?
Opening API's for the UID project will be amazing. Can think of such amazing applications of this already.
One huge trend which everyone seems to be watching is Augmented Reality, with apps like Layar really pushing the envelope. Imagining how such applications could use data like this is very exciting indeed.
JPK's priceless take on UID.
http://judeunleashed.blogspot.com/2009/12/uid-sto...
http://uidai.gov.in/documents/Creating%20a%20uniq...
Agree with you on potential of UID once API is available for third party services. There are two factor to keep in mind .
A) Access to API should be democratized . there should be a transparent approval process with little or No red tape .
B)End user should remains in control . some sort of Opt In mechanism where user can grant access on case by case basis . this will be a challenge as majority of Indian don't have computing infrastructure and Tech know how to do that . but without that it will be a privacy night mare . this should be taken care from the outset because DNC Registry has shown us that its hard to bell the cat once its out of bag .
At first UID should start with Name, Fathers Name, Mothers Name, Date of birth. Place of Nativity, rest changes with times. Now Government Should banned selling of land(Area may decided by Government) which a citizen declares to be his identity of nativity. Letter on this UID will reflect any activities made by the individual or by his parent sterting from his date of birth. I hope this UID save lot of time,money,paper work as made by part of various organization as well as individuals. Offcourse there is a security issue but we can take risk for the betterment of the humity. I need strongly viewers comment. Thank you.
I think the Medianama guys have missed the million from the number 600.
thanks. have updated.
One Question
Private Companies( small companies) can use these UID API's or not ..means anyone who want to make the website and want to use the UID API's for login into his application or not ?
Reply me at
indokely@gmail.com
Initially, the UID authority was tasked with ensuring that all genuine citizens (and no one else) would get a single ID card starting a unique identifying number. (That was a correct & laudable objective). After Mr. Nilekani took over, he did what any good IT services company does: He changed the specs of the project to suit his skills. Now the UID will only be issued to those who apply. Secondly, UID authority will not actually issue cards (which will be left to other 'agencies'). This essentially means that the UID authority will not get into verifying whether an applicant is a genuine citizen. It will accept a bunch of inputs (name / address / DOB etc) from whomsoever, and generate a unique number for each input. We as citizens could still have to maintain multiple cards from multiple agencies (with possibly identical numbers on them). Fraudulent elements can still get multiple cards (by furnishing multiple ration cards as they do today) to these various agencies.
It would not be incorrect to say that the UID project is basically a Database administration project as far as Mr. Nilekani is concerned. Nothing bad about being a DB Admin, but then, does it warrant a Cabinet berth and a budget running into hundreds of crores?
Kesri ji,____All along UID project was mandated with the job of creating a single ID. Nowhere was it mandated to create a single ID card. ID Card, Paper etc are only channels and they arent a challenge in this country. Different organisations who need UID to authorise citiizens before rendering services may support various chanels like swipe cards (magentic strip, RFID etc), paper based system etc. Govt should not be in the business of mandating the channel. They shud only facilitate giving out a unique number which will be linked to one of the above channels by th various orgn who use UID.__And yes this is a DB Admin project which is very very huge ad needs crores of rupees. And more importantly need a person with vision and tact to see thi through. Besides you also need to vest that person with authority and hence the cabinet position.