1.2 billians Indians to get UID !!

Packed into what look like two medium-sized suitcases are eight essentials — an iris scanner, a fingerprint machine, a camera, a laptop, a computer screen linked to the laptop, an Internet data card, a pen drive and a printer.

Armed with kits like these, Nandan Nilekani and his team at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will kickstart one of the most ambitious exercises in recent times — distribution of unique identification numbers to India's 1.2 billion people.
And they hope to roll this out as early as the first week of September, in cities, towns and villages of Andhra Pradesh, the state chosen for the launch of this unique exercise.

Unlike in the Census that's already on, there will be no paper-wielding government employees knocking at doors. Instead, enrolment officials, who are almost certainly not going to be government employees, will set up stations in different parts of Andhra Pradesh and turn to their kits.

The laptop contains a bilingual software (English and the local language) that runs the whole ID process. The software links to the iris machine, fingerprint machine and the camera, recording biometric data and a photograph. The second computer screen is purely for the client who, in the interest of complete transparency, can watch exactly what is being recorded.

The software contains a transliteration device so that data entries like names and addresses need be typed in only one language. There is automatic translation to the other language. That translation can be manually overridden if there is a problem, with spelling for example. Eventually, the data will be transmitted to the UIDAI database via the Internet where there will be a de-duplication process after which an unique ID number will be issued. The client will get a printout of the details at the end of the process.

Well aware of possible glitches, technical and human, Nilekani is non-committal on a precise date for the rollout. But the people of Andhra Pradesh may have their first contact early next month.
Given the country's IT expertise, should such a project have been conceived many years ago? "Not really. The availability of this technology at an affordable price is a relatively recent phenomenon. In that sense, the timing is perfect," Nilekani told The Sunday Express.

But just having the right technology is not sufficient to roll out a project on this scale. "What we need to do is create an appropriate ecosystem," said Nilekani. In short, getting the incentives right for all those involved in the project.
According to Nilekani, a four-tier structure will govern the actual handing out of UID numbers. At the Centre, the UIDAI will be responsible for coordinating the whole exercise. It will certify technology used across the country, and will hand out numbers from its centralised database. Operationally, state governments will take charge and, therefore, have ownership of the project on the ground.

The state governments will work with authorised registrars (agencies of the state government or banks or even insurance companies) who actually need the UID data for a particular purpose. At level four will be the enrolment agencies (can be either privately or publicly owned) that will collect the data. Currently, the UIDAI has empanelled 220 enrolment agencies across the country.


source:- http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20100830/804/tnl-with-8-gizmos-in-a-case-nilekani-set_1.html

Gmail Telephony and Reality !!

If you got excited reading that you can now use your Google account to make calls on landline and mobile phones, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Internet telephony is only partially allowed in India, which means you can only make calls from a PC to a PC and not from a PC to a phone. Why such a basic technology is denied to us is an interesting commentary on the telecom ministry's skewed priorities. While the ministry says, incorrectly, that it went by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (Trai) recommendations while awarding licences to eight new operators in January 2008, the same ministry has been sleeping over a Trai recommendation on Internet telephony for over two years�the recommendation suggested that Internet calls be allowed to be made to ordinary mobile and landlines.


Why are Trai's recommendations gathering dust in the department of telecommunications for over two years now? It's difficult to say, but it has to be pointed out that existing service providers who have licences for long distance telephony, both within the country as well as for international calls, are opposed to any such measure because once this happens, Internet Service Providers can start offering Google-like services in the country, thereby bringing further downward pressure on tariffs. The operators argue that while they have paid an entry fee (it used to be Rs 100 crore prior to 2005 and this is now down to Rs 2.5 crore), ISPs have not paid any, so they should not be allowed to offer such services without first paying a similar amount. Given how the entry fees have collapsed, the argument isn't too convincing. In any case, several operators have ISP licences as well, but they have not started offering Internet calls. Another argument made is that with average STD tariff falling to as low as 50 paisa per minute, there is no need for Internet telephony�Internet telephony, it is argued, only made sense at a time when long distance tariffs were very high. That may be correct, but shouldn't the choice of service be left to the consumers rather than the operators? If the quality of voice on Internet calls is really as bad as the phone companies say it is, then customers won't flock to use them, but give consumers that choice. Till such time that the ministry decides to move on Internet telephony, don't subscribe to that Google service.