Someone should forward this to Nandan Nilekani
India formed the Unique ID Authority on June 25, 2009 and appointed Mr. Nandan Nilekani as its Chairman.
It is a challenging assignment for anyone, even if you are one of the famous seven who made the most respected Company in India. (I am sorry, I do not work for a TV Company in India, else I would have come up with something like FabFour which they used to describe Rundulkar, Wall, Dada and Very Very Special; but still can think of calling the seven as Syssy Seven)
Nandan Nilekani - Infosysing UID project in India
If we have to go by normal Indian Government standards, this project will never get completed. Don’t say I am pessimistic. You have to factor in the population growth in the next 41 years while estimating the project completion time. Mind you, our population grows faster than the fastest Intel processors.
After all, we grew from 300 million in 1947 to 1.1 billion in just sixty-two years. As I type this para someone is delivering a baby somewhere in India and million others are at the production house - working out 
to send their sweetheart to the maternity ward latest in ten months. Have doubts? Check this
However, since Mr. Nilekani is at the helm of affairs, we can expect that PERT and CPM models will be used to put the project on fast track so that it gets completed by year 2050. Full 150 years ahead of normal Government projects of this magnitude. Note that we have been doing the Voter ID project for almost 20 years now and that covers only the voting population.
Lets optimistically accept that the project will get completed by 2050 and thanks to Mr. Nilekani’s tech wizardry, all of us and our children and grand children get the UID by 2050 (I will be 85 when I receive the UID in 2050).
In India we have never valued privacy – except when it comes to the nightlife of the politicians. So, an UID may actually result in more data about us being captured than just being an identity number. An UID in 2050 might make all of us much more networked than what we are now through Facebook, Orkut or Twitter. An UID that not only gives us an ID but also captures every single thing that we do or don’t do.
We might end up having a conversation like the below (source: one of those forwarded emails):
CUSTOMER CARE IN 2050
Operator : “Thank you for calling Pizza Galaxy Kholi . May I have your…”
Customer: “Hello, can I order..”
Operator : “Can I have your Unique ID Number, Sir?”
Customer: “It’s eh…, hold…….. ..on….. .889861356102049 998-45-54610″
Operator : “OK… you’re… Mr Singh.. Your home number is 4094! 2366, your office 76452302 and your mobile is 0142662566. Where would you want your order to be delivered sir? Home, office or the parking of Spencer Shopping Mall on Anna Salai formerly known as Mount Road from where you are right now calling us using your mobile?
Customer: “Home! How did you get all my phone numbers?
Operator : “We are connected to the system Sir”
Customer: “May I order your Seafood Pizza…”
Operator : “That’s not a good idea Sir”
Customer: “How come?”
Operator : “According to your medical records, you have high blood pressure and even higher cholesterol level Sir”
Customer: “What?… What do you recommend then?”
Operator : “Try our Low Fat Hokkien Mee Pizza. You’ll like it”
Customer: “How do you know for sure?”
Operator : “You borrowed a book entitled “Popular Hokkien Dishes” from the National Library last week Sir”
Customer: “OK I give up…. Give me three family size ones then, how much will that cost?”
Operator : “That should be enough for your family of 10, Sir. The total is Rs 2249.99″
Customer: “Can I pay by! credit card?”
Operator : “I’m afraid you have to pay us cash, Sir. Your credit card is over the limit and you owe your bank Rs10,720.55 since October last year.
That’s not including the late payment charges on your housing loan, Sir.”
Customer: “I guess I have to run to the neighbourhood ATM and withdraw some cash before your guy arrives”
Operator : “You can’t Sir. Based on the records, you’ve reached your daily limit on machine withdrawal today”
Customer: “Never mind just send the pizzas, I’ll have the cash ready. How long is it gonna take anyway?”
Operator : “About 30 minutes Sir, but if you can’t wait you can always come and collect it on your scooter.. .”
Customer: ” What!”
Operator : “According to the details in system, you own a Lambretta 1969 Vintage Scooter,…registration number USE 8999…”
Customer: ” ????”
Operator : “Is there anything else Sir?”
Customer: “Nothing… by the way… aren’t you giving me that 3 free bottles of cola as advertised?”
Operator : “We normally would Sir, but based on your records you’re also diabetic…. …”
Customer: #$$^%&$@$%^…beeep<mailto:%23$$%5E%25&$@$%25%5E…beeep>
Operator : “Better watch your language Sir. Remember on 11th Nov 1986 you were convicted for using abusive language on a policeman who stopped you for driving through a one way, in fact you were driving a 1973 Ambassador bearing registeration number UTD 4267…….
Customer: May I know the number of Mr. Nandan Nilekani? We have got more than our parents bargained for!
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More than the article the call centre conversation was very interesting and hilarious. If the Government spends the money in the right direction this project can be completed well on time. We have seen e-governance at its best in places like Singapore and Dubai (though they are much smaller in size compared to India) and hence this project – if directed properly – can be a successful one within the next 5 years.
Hi Anand,
Either you wanted to post an hilarious comment OR you are at the peak of your optimistic best OR you posted the comment when you had one of those fabulous dreams of yours.
Else, it is impossible for anyone from Indian background to estimate that an Indian Government project can be completed in five years, leave alone the mammoth UID project.
We have seen how long it took for the Railway Ministry to complete the Beach to Velachery MRTS line – a stretch of about 14 km. It took over 20 years to complete. Where there a will (a will written by a minister in power) there is a (long) way for even the shortest route.
Call centre conversation is fabulous. I think that one should forward this to Mr.Nandan
Maximum India,
Thank you!
The piece is being termed comic, humourous and satirical, but for me it is full of realism. My only problem or complaint is that the author should not have censored the following line:
Customer: #$$^%&$@$%^…beeep
Actually they deserve all these abuses. And also, what more we can do against them??
Your article “Someone should forward this to Nandan Nilekani” is very good and interesting
Hi,
Pls understand that for any project of this kind, the approach should cover a system to cover the existing population and the changes happening from a frozen day. This is basic man and this will address the base concern of your post.
Choosing a NN like person and giving him a CAB-MIN rank implies that the complication of these project are understood. NN has jumpedin to this challange, leaving all his comfort zone and lets effort to a supportive casue man.
By the way your CC conversation is real fun & just for fun only. Realize the positive side; if the enforcement depts has such an info with them, you know the effects it can have on the administrative systems.
Regards,
PSK
The conversation was very interesting and I could visualize replacing myself into that customer’s shoes.
I am looking for that to come true.
This should have got initiated at least 10 years back. May be at that time the population was not this much. And that could also have reduced population from where are now.
PSK this is not any application or system for a company having 1Lac por more people to have some frozen or cut off date. Do you mean to say that for example, the system will be applicable who are born before 2010 and who have born after 2010 will be added in future. So what would be the social security for them till they get added or UID is provided?
However, I do agree that there will be a system to cover this. It would defly not something you have mentioned.
Hi Vijaysarathy,
Am aware of the current population but you seem to have assumed it wrongly. Thanks for agreeing that this could be done
From a frozen date there will be a on-line system to capture/append data and the rest of the backlogs should be handled separately so that at the end of the implementation it will be totally on-line.
Wait & See
Regards/PSK
Karthik,
You are either very serious or very humorous.
This project will never happen. It is against politician interest.
Hi Satyamurthy,
I dont have to take this thread very seriously! Ha Ha. Sure you agree.
The politicians can be silenced by people unity. You have seen this post 26/11.
Lets help for that cause.
Karthik,
Yes. I am seriously saying that you should not take this thread very seriously.
However, reality of the situation is that things take hell of a lot of time in our country. Our track record is like that.
Certain progressive work have been achieved by us – for example the Rajiv – Sam Pitroda led telecom revolution. However, UID project is something that is extremely complex.
I would vote for Nandan to be PM of India if he can achieve success in this project against all odds.
The imagination is good but I am afraid, it is too much / match to your imagination. But in a conversation two factors are missing,
1. The Pizza guy did not ask for whether it is half / full pizza order?
2. After all, where and when they fixed to deliver?
It is something to relate with the UID project also because
1. I don’t think the project has definite scope that one can understand; it is few months now and we have not heard anything much. No common man would have understood much about the project.
2. When they will deliver?
I feel that it is only international political drama to show that the Indian Government is recognizing private talent in public affairs. This is the scope and what they want to deliver. And they have accomplished it by appointing NN.
Hello Sir,I found this a useful resource to know more about project uid.I would like to know if project uid also includes election system(eg. constituency)??if yes ,could you please help me to contact the concerned representatives for the project.I have the module which can be useful for the purpose.I know this is not the place where I am supposed enquire, I am sorry,But I didn’t find any other way.Thank You
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