Welcome technocrats!

In a refreshing move, the UPA Government has planned to go full steam ahead with the Unique Identity Authority of India, and they have picked a political novice (although an industry captain), Nandan Nilekani to head the Rs. 1,990 crore project, which is expected to be completed by 2011, in time for the Census.

The project aims to give every Indian citizen a unique identification number, which can do away with documents like ration cards and voter identification cards. It will be a huge boost to national security, a much needed step after the infamous 26/11 attacks. The number system will also overhaul and direct the delivery mechanism for public goods and services to intended beneficiaries. An initial Rs. 100 crore have been allocated as of now.

Nilekani had previously been the Co-Chairman of Infosys Technologies, but had always campaigned for this idea of a unique ID. In his book, he claimed that a national ID will be 'nothing less than revolutionary', and the government felt fitting to hand over this project to a technocrat, whose past experience make him an excellent candidate for the job. He had to resign from his Chairman-ship at Infosys, in order to avoid any conflict of interest, which will be effective from July 9.

This act by the UPA government, has earned itself plaudits, and it will be a major achievement if it can be completed in time. The NDA government had launched an experimental version (the Multi Purpose National Identity Card) in 2003, but had not been carried forward by the UPA in its first term. Nilekani's appointment is the second major technocrat appointment; the first being Montek Singh Ahluwalia, one of the best known Indian economists who was appointed as the Head of the Planning Commission. MIP is quite in favour of such an ambitious project, it is time to modernize our government!