(a) whether the Government is taking adequate steps to deliver Aadhaar
Cards to the citizens;
(b) if so, the steps taken for speedy delivery of the Aadhaar Cards;
(c) the difficulties being faced in delivery, if any;
(d) whether there is any difference of opinion between Unique Identification
Authority of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs in honouring the Aadhaar Cards
for all purposes; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken to resolve the same?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. ASHWANI KUMAR)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED
QUESTION NO. 373 REGARDING DELIVERY OF AADHAAR CARDS RAISED BY SHRI
GUTHA SUKHENDER REDDY TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.05.2012
(a): Yes Madam.
(b): Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has engaged three printers to print the Aadhaar
letters. Department of Posts has also opened booking and dispatch facilities within the premises of the
printers. Presently there is a capacity of printing and dispatch of approximately 15 lakh Aadhaar letters
per day. Additionally, the Department of Posts have taken a number of steps for the speedy delivery of
the Aadhaar letters which include –
i) Special arrangements for closing of direct bags for delivery Post Offices to avoid multiple
handling and thereby reducing transit time.
ii) Commissioning of customized software for booking, transmission and delivery related
information to increase booking efficiency.
iii) Developing a dedicated portal for Management Information Portal (MIS) related to information of
Aadhaar letters.
iv) Identification of Nodal officers in all Postal Circles to monitor the delivery of Aadhaar letters on a
daily basis.
v) Monitoring of the daily statistics by senior officers.
(c): Initially there was inadequate printing and despatch capacity due to which a backlog in printing
and dispatch had arisen resulting in delays in delivery. The creation of additional printing facilities has
improved the situation since February 2012 and presently no difficulties are being faced in the delivery of
the Aadhaar letters.
(d) & (e): The Registrar General, India (RGI) is creating a National Population Register (NPR) of persons
usually residing in India under the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity
Cards) Rules, 2003 read with the Citizenship Act, 1955. UIDAI is issuing Unique Identification
Numbers (called Aadhaar numbers) to all residents as a developmental initiative. RGI is one of the
Registrars of UIDAI.
Earlier, there was a difference of opinion between the Home Ministry and the Unique
Identification Authority of India regarding acceptance of biometric data of other Registrars of the UIDAI
eco-system. Now this difference of opinion has been resolved during the meeting of the Cabinet
Committee on UIDAI held on 27th January 2012. In order to streamline biometric data collection of the
residents, the Government has decided that in States where UIDAI has made good progress or where
States/UTs Governments have given commitment for Aadhaar enrolments and are planning to integrate
with various service delivery applications, Aadhaar enrolments through non RGI Registrars will continue.
Accordingly, certain States have been specified where UIDAI will collect data. It has also been decided
that the NPR enrolment will continue as envisaged, but, if in the course of enrolment, a person indicates
that he/she is already enrolled for Aadhaar, the biometric data will not be captured by RGI. Instead, the
Aadhaar number/enrolment number will be recorded in NPR and biometric data will be given to the RGI
by UIDAI. It was also decided that in the event of any discrepancy between NPR and UIDAI database,
NPR data will prevail.
Aadhaar is an enabler. The genesis of the Unique Identification Programme (Aadhaar) lay in the
fact that the poor and marginalized in India may get excluded from access to social welfare schemes and
programmes and meant for them for want of identity documents. Aadhaar aims to provide a soft identity
infrastructure which can be used to re-engineer public services so that these lead to equitable, efficient
and better delivery of services.