How UID Works

The UID system will design and create the institutional microstructure to effectively implement the policy. This will include a Central ID Data Repository (CIDR), which will manage the central system, and a network of registrars that will establish resident touch points through enrolling agencies.

The Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR)

The CIDR will be the central data repository, and will function as a Managed Service Provider. It will store resident records, issue unique identification numbers, and verify, authenticate and amend resident data. The CIDR will only hold the minimum information required to identify the resident and ensure no duplicates. This will include:

1. The Unique Identity Number

UID will be a numeric that is unique across all 1.2 billion residents in India. The UIDAI will also be collecting the following data fields and biometrics for issuing a UID:

a) Name

b) Date of birth

c) Gender

d) Father's/Husband's/ Guardian's name and UID 

e) Mother's/ Wife's/ Guardian's name and UID 

f) Introducer's name and UID (in case of lack of documents)

g) Address

h) All ten finger prints, photograph and both iris scans

2. The Unique Id agencies

The structure of these UID agencies will be as follows

Registrars…Registrars will be State governments or central government agencies such as the Oil Ministry and LIC.  They will help in ensuring that clean and correct data flows into the CIDR. Their key role in the system will be in aggregating enrolments from sub-registrars and enrolling agencies and forwarding it to the CIDR.

Sub-Registrars: These will be the departments/entities that report to a specific Registrar. For instance, the line departments of the state government such as the RDPR (Rural Development and Panchayti Raj)

Enrolling Agencies: Enrolling agencies will directly interact with and enroll residents into the CIDR. For example, the hospital where a baby is born would be the 'enrolling agency' for the baby's UID

Outreach Groups: The UIDAI along with the Registrars will also partner with civil society groups and community networks which will promote the UID number and provide information on enrolment for hard to reach and marginalized populations

3.Committee on Biometric Standards 

A Biometrics Standards Committee, under the Chairmanship of the Director General of NIC, Dr. BK Gairola was constituted by the authority on 29^th September, 2009. It submitted a report on 7^th January, 2010. The UIDAI has examined their Report and has accepted the standards for various biometric attributes as recommendations by the committee.  The UID has also decided that the face, all ten finger prints and both iris scans should be collected at the time of capturing the demographic and biometric details of a resident.