The directorate of census operations has begun compilation of biometric parameters, including fingerprints and iris reading of individuals in different parts of the state for the Unique Identification (UID) project. The census department will distribute resident identity cards later, based on the unique number created for every person.
In the first phase, the department has engaged Bharath Electronics to capture images and fingerprints in select villages of Cuddalore, Puddukottai and Trichy. Armed with scanned sheets of the National Population Register (NPR), the enumeration for which was held in June last year, the teams have spread out in seven taluks in these districts, including Kurinjipadi, Panruti, Chidambaram, Srirangam, Aranthangi, Pudukkottai and Thirumaiyam.
"As many as 70 teams are at work. The number of teams will be increased to to 300 to cover cities and towns," said S Gopalakrishnan, director of census operations, Tamil Nadu and Pudducherry. Members of the public are called to the local biometric camps, which otherwise acted as polling stations during elections, equipped with men and machinery to capture the images. In each taluk, two villages have been identified and four biometric devices are put to use in each of these villages.
Every individual above 15 years of age will get the 12-digit unique number from UID, and it will serve as an identity proof for various transactions, besides addressing issues of multiple identities. The census department completed a similar exercise in 229 coastal villages in the state last year. The identity cards are likely to be issued soon to nearly 12.5 lakh people. As per the plan, the image of an individual will be captured first, followed by the prints of the first four fingers in each hand through biometric devices. Subsequently both thumb fingerprints will be recorded and iris reading done. The entire exercise will be completed in ten minutes. The biometric parameters will be incorporated
with the NPR data being uploaded by Bharath Electronics in its six centres in the state. "The entire state will be covered in 18 months," Gopalakrishnan added. The government has authorized village administrative officers as local registrars in villages, tahsildars as taluk registrar and district collectors as district registrar, but such arrangements have not yet been made in cities and towns. The census department expects the state government to soon notify local registrars in cities and towns.
In the first phase, the department has engaged Bharath Electronics to capture images and fingerprints in select villages of Cuddalore, Puddukottai and Trichy. Armed with scanned sheets of the National Population Register (NPR), the enumeration for which was held in June last year, the teams have spread out in seven taluks in these districts, including Kurinjipadi, Panruti, Chidambaram, Srirangam, Aranthangi, Pudukkottai and Thirumaiyam.
"As many as 70 teams are at work. The number of teams will be increased to to 300 to cover cities and towns," said S Gopalakrishnan, director of census operations, Tamil Nadu and Pudducherry. Members of the public are called to the local biometric camps, which otherwise acted as polling stations during elections, equipped with men and machinery to capture the images. In each taluk, two villages have been identified and four biometric devices are put to use in each of these villages.
Every individual above 15 years of age will get the 12-digit unique number from UID, and it will serve as an identity proof for various transactions, besides addressing issues of multiple identities. The census department completed a similar exercise in 229 coastal villages in the state last year. The identity cards are likely to be issued soon to nearly 12.5 lakh people. As per the plan, the image of an individual will be captured first, followed by the prints of the first four fingers in each hand through biometric devices. Subsequently both thumb fingerprints will be recorded and iris reading done. The entire exercise will be completed in ten minutes. The biometric parameters will be incorporated
with the NPR data being uploaded by Bharath Electronics in its six centres in the state. "The entire state will be covered in 18 months," Gopalakrishnan added. The government has authorized village administrative officers as local registrars in villages, tahsildars as taluk registrar and district collectors as district registrar, but such arrangements have not yet been made in cities and towns. The census department expects the state government to soon notify local registrars in cities and towns.
