Making A Billion strong Database

Updating UID details:

From time to time, the information that the CIDR holds on the resident may also become outdated and hence the database has to be updated regularly. For e.g., biometric data changes and will be updated every five years for children and every ten years for adults. Fields that are susceptible to change could be the 'present address' field, as well as the resident's name (after marriage). There might also be an error in the fields that occurred during enrolment into the UID. The service provider can make the process more refined by making the update a prerequisite for further availability of benefits. Enrolling agencies and Registrars can serve as points where the resident can update their UID fields. The resident will have to submit their new information at these updation points with the required documentary evidence. This may also include a biometric authentication prior to processing the request.

Reaching Critical Mass in Enrolment

The issuance process of the UIDs is expected to start August 2010 to February 2011, expected to reach a critical mass of about 200 million in two to three years. Until this point, the UIDAI will have to focus on generating demand from both Registrars and residents. However, once the critical mass is achieved, it will generate a network effect that drives demand and accelerates adoption among service providers and residents. And as more service providers across the country mandate UID to dispense their services and benefits, adoption will ramp up rapidly. In four years, the UIDAI estimates that it will issue 600 million UID numbers.

Tracking Enrolments

It is expected that the UIDAI will launch a GIS-based visual reporting system to track trends and patterns across India as and how the project is rolled out. The GIS system will show all UID enrolments by state, as well as by Registrar. The system will also be able to drill down with in states and into districts.

 

Reaching A Sustainable Steady State In Enrolment

A challenge for full enrolment is registering the approximately 60,000 babies that are born in the country every day. Over the next several years, the UIDAI expects to enrol close to the entire Indian population. Once that goal is achieved, enrolment will reach a steady state, where only births (and deaths) as well as immigrants need to be recorded. There are however, some challenges in registering new births. First, since their biometrics is not stable, they have to be re-scanned at a later age. The child's biometrics need to be taken at around 5 years of age, and updated in the UID system every 5 years until the age of 18. Until the time the biometric of the child stabilizes, any one of the parents/guardian will need to provide their biometric information for authentication. Second, names are often not given in India at the time of birth registration.

 

The Uid in The Birth Certificate

One way to ensure that the UID number is used by all government and private agencies is by inserting it into the birth certificate of the infant. Since the name is a mandatory field in the UID database, it is essential that the child be given a name before applying for the UID number. This would ensure that the UID can also be allotted at birth.

 

Recording Deaths

The UID system will not remove a record upon the person's death; it will simply mark it as 'deceased' and hence will render it inactive for the purposes of authentication.