The Hindu : Govt. to give 12-digit social security number to citizens

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Govt. to give 12-digit social security number to citizens

By M. Rajeev

HYDERABAD April 10. Moving forward with its plans for providing effective services to citizens by using the Multi-Purpose Household Survey data, the Government has decided to give a 12-digit social security identification number to all citizens.

The Government recently issued orders for migration from the existing 16-digit number to 12-digit social security identification number for the entire MPHS data and effect corresponding changes in all the e-government projects and applications that are linked to the MPHS data.

``The exercise of introducing the 12-digit number is aimed at universalising the social security identification number conforming to international standards. Several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, have already adopted the 12-digit number,'' the principal secretary, Information Technology and Communications Department, J. Satyanarayana said.

Mr. Satyanarayana told The Hindu that the 16-digit number being used at present in the MPHS data had the citizen identity number as well as the district and mandal codes incorporated in it. "But the number will become meaningless in cases where the citizens migrate from their places in search of employment or other reasons. This is more profound in case of women and girls who migrate from their places after marriage,'' he said.

In view of this, the department had ordered studies by the consultants of the department, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, who recommended the 12-digit format, which is aimed at universalising the social security identification number, he added.

Accordingly, the AP Technology Services had been asked to take up a one-time exercise for conversion from the existing 16-digit number to 12-digit one for the MPHS database. Since the MPHS data had already been placed on the AP Online portal where it is accessible to departments, kiosks and citizens, the APTS was asked to work out the modalities for provision of online services pertaining to the generation of social security identification numbers as well as reference and cross checking of the existing numbers.

The migration would also provide for reference and interoperability between the software systems of each department and the MPHS data on the line of the Online Transaction and Processing system launched at Nalgonda and Mahboobnagar recently, according to the orders (GO Ms 4 issued by the IT & C department).

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Govt. to give 12-digit social security number to citizens

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