Life With Big Brother....
29 September 2010 Last updated at 05:00 ET
Big Brother: India launches ambitious national identity
scheme
Children in India The government says better ID will mean benefits are
delivered more fairly
India has launched a huge national identity scheme aimed at cutting
fraud and improving access to state benefits.
Using biometric methods, including an iris scan, the system will log
details of India's population of more than one billion people on a
central database.
It was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party
leader Sonia Gandhi in western India.
The biometric evidence will be stored online in what will be the
biggest such national database in the world.
The unique identification (UID) programme will help those in poor,
marginalised communities who find it difficult to access public
services and benefits because they do not have official records,
officials say.
The government expects to give a UID number to every Indian citizen
within five years.
Birth registration is not universal and it is hoped that the database
will give an accurate picture of Indian society, correspondents say.