Milestones - Step by step

1993: The Government of India undertook its first effort to provide a clear identity to residents, with the issue of photo identity cards by the Election Commission.

2003: The Government approved the Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC).

March 3rd, 2006: The concept of unique identification was first discussed and worked upon, when administrative approval for the project –“Unique ID for BPL families” was given by the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

July 3rd, 2006: A Processes Committee was setup to suggest processes for updation, modification, addition and deletion of data fields from the core data base to be created under the Unique ID for BPL families Project.

December 4th, 2006: With the approval of the Prime Minister, it was decided to constitute an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to collate the two schemes – the National Population Register and the Unique Identification Number project.

January 28th, 2008: EGoM decided on the strategy for the collation of NPR and UID. Inter-alia, the proposal to establish UID Authority under the Planning Commission was approved.

January 28th, 2009: In pursuance of the Empowered group of Ministers' fourth meeting, the Unique Identification Authority of India was constituted and notified by the Planning Commission as an attached office under the aegis of Planning Commission with an initial core team of 115 officials. The UIDAI was given the responsibility to lay down plan and policies to implement UID scheme, and shall own and operate the UID database and be responsible for its updation and maintenance on an ongoing basis.

July 2nd, 2009: Shri Nandan Nilekani was appointed as the Chairman of the UIDAI. Shri Nilekani assumed charge on 23rd July, 2009 and since then the UIDAI has started functioning.