The Hindu Business Line : Proof of concept bids invited for biometric, fingerprint devices

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has invited bids for supply, installation and commissioning of biometric and fingerprint devices.

However, the bids are meant for proof of concept and not the full project, sources said. The UIDAI has fixed January 17 as the last date for submission of technical and commercial bids. “This is aimed at identifying standards and testing out various devices for proof of concept,” sources added.

The UID project aims to handout a unique identification number to every Indian resident.

When contacted, the UIDAI Chairman, Mr Nandan Nilekani, declined to comment on the bids. Asked about the status of the ongoing dialogue with various States, he said that talks with 18 States has already been concluded and that remaining would be covered by March. Over the last few months, the authority has been discussing the UID project with various State governments and is also giving presentations on the approach and strategy in this regard.

It may be recalled that the UIDAI recently invited proposals from consulting firms for services pertaining to the setting up of Central ID Data Repository (CIDR) and selection of managed service provider. The RFP for consultants is being seen as the first step towards the creation of back-end IT infrastructure for the project.