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New Delhi: Nearly half
the Indian population will get their unique identity number by 2014, Nandan Nilankeni, who is spearheading the drive, said Sunday.
"We will generate about a million numbers per day and our plan is to
have nearly half the population in our system (unique identity
number) by 2014," Nandan Nilekani, chairman of Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIDAI), said.
According to Nilekani, the uniue number will provide its holder
access to better government services, while greatly reducing the
hassels of
paperwork.
He was addressing the seventh India-Africa business conclave
co-hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Exim
Bank, in cooperation with the ministries of external affairs and
commerce, which began here Sunday.
The UDAI project involves providing a unique number to all Indians,
but not smart cards. Through this number, the authority will provide
a biometric database of all residents.
The representatives of various African governments attending the
conference showed interest in the UID system for possible
application in their own countries.
Some 800 delegates from around 35 African countries are
participating in the conclave, which is a build-up to the
India-Africa Summit to be held in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in
May.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be attending the Ethiopian
summit.
According to a CII official, heads of states, senior ministers,
officials and business leaders are expected to take part in this
year's conclave.
The theme of the conference this year is "Creating Possibilities;
Delivering Values."
In the last six conclaves 1,084 projects worth $56.08 billion were
discussed.
The Delhi conclave and the Addis Ababa summit in May come at a time
when trade between India and African countries has been recording a
steady increase, reaching over 400 percent since 2005.
According to the organisers, around 157 projects worth $10.02
billion were discussed in over 1,200 one-to-one business meetings
during last year's conference.
African Union Commission chair Jean Ping, Mozambique Prime Minister
Aires Bonifacio Ali, Central African Republic Prime Minister Faustin
Archange Touadera, Togo Prime Minister Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo and
Somalia Deputy Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali are among the
political leaders taking part in the event.
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