Resident ID cards proposal on Cabinet table today

Encouraged by the progress of its scheme of issuing resident identity cards in the form of smart cards in coastal areas, the government has now decided to expand the project across the country as part of the initiative to draw up a national population register (NPR).

All "usual residents", who includes everyone above the age of 18 and who have stayed or intend to stay for six months or more in the country, will be entitled to smart cards or resident identity cards that will, through a 64 kb microprocessor chip, hold demographic and biometric attributes of the individual.

The proposal, which envisages an allocation of Rs 5,500 crore, is expected to be taken up in the Cabinet on Thursday. The scheme will allow offline authentication of individuals in remote locations using hand held devices. Once the project is completed, the country will have an accurate head count of people above the age of 18.

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