National Federation of Postal Employees

POST OFFICES IN THE SERVICE OF UNIQUE IDENTITY PROJECT

               Sandeep Joshi

Strategic partnership forged for registration, distribution of UID Cards

        NEW DELHI: The Department of Posts on Friday announced a strategic partnership with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for registration and distribution of unique identification (UID) cards to citizens.

        The UIDAI will leverage the DoP national network for its unique identity project AADHAR. The two organisations will also collaborate to provide state-of-the-art biometric and identity authentication services.

        "The government sees UID as a critical initiative to achieve inclusive growth. We have an opportunity to use post offices for inclusive growth through this partnership. If we understand the road ahead, post offices will be the centre for empowering people. India Post has geared itself to undertaking this huge responsibility with due care and diligence. Delivery of AADHAR to each resident will be available for tracking and confirmation," Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said after the tie-up.

        UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani said: "This is not a tactical but strategic partnership, where we will leverage the existing infrastructure of the DoP to reach out to the masses for providing UID. All AADHAR-based applications would be accessible through post offices."

        The UIDAI floated a Request for Quotation (RFQ) to finalise the agency that would set up and manage infrastructure for registration and distribution of UID cards at post offices, Mr. Nilekani said.

        "The RFQ will be opened in the next couple of days, and then we will finalise agencies to set up and manage infrastructure across all 1.5 lakh post offices," said UIDAI Director-General and Mission Director R.S. Sharma.

        The new partnership will add to the infrastructure of the UIDAI, which has over 10 lakh enrolment centres in nine States. It has installed around 5,000 devices for collection of citizens' biometric impressions like fingerprints and retinal scanners. These devices could collectively enrol 2.5 lakh people a day, Mr. Sharma said.

The Hindu 05 February, 2011.

 

 

A Brief Press Note

 

COLLABORATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENT OF POSTS &

UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION AUTHORITY OF INDIA

 

Department of Posts is striving to provide complete solution for delivering the Unique Identification Number to all the residents in the country. A Statement of Intent is today being signed between Department of Posts and UIDAI in the presence of the Hon'able Minister of Communications and IT and the Hon'able Chairman of UIDAI.

 

2. The main purpose of this Statement is to forge strategic alliance to create value for both the Department of Posts and the UIDAI and for the residents of India.

 

Salient Features of Statement of Intent to being signed today, the 4th of February 2011

 

 UIDAI wishes to leverage the national network of the Department of Posts to provide Aadhaar and the accompany authentication services to all residents.

 

 Department of Posts and UIDAI wish to collaborate to provide state of art bio-metric and ID authentication services to the residents.

 

 Providing of enrolment and updation facility to the residents of India in identified post offices across the country subject to economic & operational viability.

 

 Facilitating continuing Aadhaar enrolment and provision of up-dation centres across the network of Post Offices subject to feasibility & on mutually agreed terms

 

 Transmission and delivery of UID letters to the residents of the country and providing proof of delivery of these letters through a service specially customized for UIDAI

 

 Use of Aadhaar and Aadhaar based authentication services in Postal business where deemed fit by Department of Posts;

 

 Sharing demographic and biometric data collected during enrolment for Aadhaar on mutually agreed terms & conditions;

 

 Utilizing Media Post and Direct Mail services of Department of Posts by the UIDAI to targeted group of residents across the country to promote Aadhar on mutually agreed terms & conditions.

 

 In a recognition of the fact that Aadhaar enablement may call for running Proof of Concept and Pilot projects both side agree to do so where deemed necessary and subject to mutual convenience. Such exercises as may be undertaken in pursuit of this understanding will endeavour to produce Detailed Project Reports which can be effectively used to scale up the projects on successful completion.

3. The mandate of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is to provide a Unique Identification Number to each and every resident of the country. This involves:-

 

a) Capture of demographic and bio-metric data of each and every resident.

b) Generating a Unique Identification Number for each resident of the country.

c) Printing a communication carrying the Unique Identification Number addressed to each resident.

d) Delivery of this communication to the resident.

e) Updation of resident's data on a periodic basis.

 

4. Department of Posts has a vast network of post offices across the country which touches each and every resident of the country. The Department of Posts, therefore, is the only organization in the country that can provide an end to end comprehensive solution to the requirements of the UIDAI in this regard.

 

5. In view of above, Department of Posts and UIDAI came together and signed their first

Memorandum of Understanding on 30th April, 2010. This MOU covers the following areas:-

 

a) Printing of communication carrying UID Number addressed to the resident at Department of Posts 'Print to Post' facility at Kolkata GPO.

b) Transmission of the UID communications printed at Department of Posts' 'Print to Post' facility to the addressee by the fastest means.

c) Delivery of the UID communication to the addressee through the vast network of post offices across the country.

 

6. The 'Print to Post' facility of Department of Posts at Kolkata is expected to print and dispatch about 1 crore UID letters upto March 31, 2011. During the year 2011-12, Department of Posts is expected to print and deliver about 12 crore UID letters.

 

7. Subsequently, Department of Posts signed the second Memorandum of Understanding with UIDAI on the September 18, 2010 wherein Department of Posts agreed to act as Registrar to UIDAI. UIDAI is in the process of shortlisting the Enrolment Agencies that will manage the Enrolment Stations in the identified post offices. More than 3700 post offices across the country have been identified for providing enrolment stations facility.

 

 

--
M.Krishnan
Secretary General NFPE