PARLIAMENTARY CONSULTTIVE COMMITTEE
OF MHA DISCUSSES MULTI-PURPOSE NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD PROJECT
The Parliamentary
Consultative Committee attached to the Home Ministry met this
morning under the Chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister, Shri
L.K. Advani. The Session exclusively discussed the Multi-purpose
National Identity Card Project (MNIC) which is to be launched
soon. A pilot project on the scheme has already been taken up
in a few selected sub-districts in various districts of 13 States
namely Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Uttranchal, Rajasthan, Uttar
Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Goa, Tamil
Nadu, Pondicherry and Delhi. The pilot project which was initiated
in April, 2003 is likely to be completed in a year’s time covering
approximately a population of 29 lakhs.
Before the in-depth
discussion on the MNIC project was taken up, the Registrar General
and Census Commissioner, Shri J.K. Banthia made a presentation
on the scheme, its objectives, the mandate and the methodology
for implementing the scheme. The presentation encompassed the
recommendations of the Group of Ministers on reforming the National
Security System. The GOM while proposing the introduction of a
Multi-purpose National Identity Card for Indian citizens said:
"Illegal migration
has assumed serious proportions. There should be compulsory registration
of citizens and non-citizens living in India. This will facilitate
preparation of a national register of citizens. All citizens should
be given a Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) and non-Multi-purpose
National Identity Card (MNIC) and non-citizens should be issued
identity cards of a different colour and design. This should be
introduced initially in the border districts or may be in a 20
Kms border belt and extended to the hinterland progressively.
The Central Government should meet the full cost of the identity
card scheme". This recommendation was accepted by the Government
and immediate steps were taken to launch the pilot project. It
was said that the pilot project will not only give an opportunity
to acquire efficiency but also help take measures to remove hurdles
likely to be faced while the MNIC Project is taken up on a country-wide
basis for a population of more than 100 crores.
The objective
of the project is to prepare a Population Register, a National
Register of Indian Citizens, providing a unique National Identity
Number to each citizen and also a Multi-purpose Residency Card
to non-citizens.
The graphic presentation
while mentioning the output said the scheme will provide a credible
individual identification system and speed up transactions between
the individual and the service provider with greater efficiency.
The MNIC will also function as a necessary instrument for e-governance.
It will be user friendly interface between the citizen and the
government and will function as a deterrent for future illegal
immigration.
Members attending
the meeting highly appreciated the steps taken to launch this
project. A few members while hailing the scheme, which will go
a long way in identifying illegal immigration, raised some area-specific
problems in places like the North-East and the Andaman Nicobar
Islands. Some Members suggested that the system of enumeration
should be insulated from political pressure and problems of religion,
caste and creed considerations. A suggestion was also made for
female enumerators in areas where the female members of a family
hesitate to meet a male visitor/enumerator.
The Deputy Prime
Minister while assuring the Members for all safeguards for the
successful implementation of the project, allayed fears of any
influence or pressure to stall the project. Shri L.K. Advani while
referring the Chief Minister’s Conference in which the matter
was discussed said initially there was some hesitation by some
States but ultimately all unanimously agreed for launching the
MNIC Project. This was also endorsed in the last Conference of
Chief Secretaries from States, he added.
In reply to some
queries the Home Secretary, Shri N. Gopalaswami said for all adult
citizens it will be a Photo Identity Card.
Members who attended
the Consultative Committee Meeting are S/Shri G.M. Banatwalla;
M.S. Delkar; Bishnu Pada Ray; Somnath Chatterjee; Shivraj V. Patil;
Joyanta Rongpi; Avtar Singh Bhadana; Pawan Kumar Bansal; Ali Mohd.
Naik; and Anadicharan Sahu all from Lok Sabha and S/Shri S. Roy
Chowdhury; P.C. Alexander; Karan Singh; Suresh Pachouri; and Balbir
K. Punj all from Rajya Sabha.
The Ministers of
State Shri Harin Pathak, Shri I.D. Swami, Swami Chinmayanand,
the Home Secretary, Shri N. Gopalaswami and senior officials were
present.
