The Gujarat government’s department of science and technology (DST) has started work on a project to issue a multipurpose national identity card (MNIC) to every resident of the state.
The Gujarat government’s department of science and technology (DST) has started work on a project to issue a multipurpose national identity card (MNIC) to every resident of the state. It expects to start issuing the cards to individuals in six months’ time.
The identity card will be similar to the MNIC that the Central government plans to issue to every citizen of the country. The Centre had announced its MNIC project six years back but it is yet to complete the pilot for the project that was launched in 13 districts of the country.
The state government’s DST, on the other hand, will be ready to issue the identity cards in six months’ time, and also provide various services to the state’s residents through this one single card. The department is currently working on a few minor issues related to bandwidth management.
Each card will carry a unique bar code specific to the person to whom it is issued. It will include the person’s name, address, finger biometrics, his photograph, father’s name, and the reference numbers of other valid ID proofs such as ration card and BPL card. The reference number, photo, finger impression and the bar code will ensure that the cards are not faked later.
Further, unlike identity cards using microchips for storage of data, the state government has opted for identity cards with bar codes.
“This has brought down the cost of the cards to Rs4 each,” an official said. “Chip-carrying cards, on the other hand, can cost more than Rs50 apiece depending on the chip’s memory space.”
The identity cards will enable people in Gujarat to access or apply for different services using only one identity document. The cards will enable better e-governance and promote greater transparency in administration. “The state project is an effort to transform governance using technology to store relevant data about a person’s identity,” said Raj Kumar, secretary, department of science and technology.
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