Nandan to use PAN data base for his Unique Identity – Big Brother watching?
Nandan Nilenkani is all set to issue 120 Crores Biometric Unique Identification Cards to all Indians. This will be the biggest such project in the world and Nandan has sacrificed his high profile job with Infosys to give a number to every Indian. The Income Tax Department's PAN database is a good source for Nandan to start with, but PAN holders constitute a miniscule minority in India – there are some senior IRS officers who do not have a PAN.
A ten percent error in the Data would mean a whopping 12 Crores citizens on the wrong side of Big Brother's ken. Assuming that each card would cost Rs. 100/-, the project will cost Rs. 12,000/- Crores. There are still many Indians who do not have anything better than a loin cloth to cover themselves with. Where will such a man keep his biometric card?
Let's hope Nandan doesn't get disheartened with the corruption, lethargy, incompetence and miles of red tape in Government.