Mobile phone to authenticate your identity: Nilekani

September 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Move over passport and PAN card! Identity authentication at banks, gas connection centres or while providing rural jobs will just be an SMS away, Unique Identification Authority chief Nandan Nilekani said Saturday. "Our project will provide a unique identification (UID) number, not a card.

September 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhiites may get their individual unique ID numbers in three years, Unique Indentificaiton Authority of India Chairman Nandan Nilekani said Wednesday. "Delhi as a state is much ahead in this respect than other states.

August 5th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Heavy mobile phone users have poorer memory, slower reaction times and make more mistakes, a new study has found. The study by researchers from Monash University reviewed 300 students aged 12 to 14 from 20 Melbourne private and state schools.

August 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday constituted a council under his chairmanship to advice the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and ensure better coordination between ministries, stakeholders and partners. The council is expected to advice the UIDAI on the programme, methodology and implementation to ensure coordination between ministries, departments, stakeholders and partners, said a release from the Prime Minister's Office.

July 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Nandan Nilekani took charge as the chairman of the Unique Identification Database Authority of India Thursday and started work on the government's ambitious project to provide a single identity number and card to each of the country's 1.17 billion people. Nilekani, who met with reporters briefly after assuming office at Yojana Bhavan, the headquarters of the Planning Commission here, said the main task of the authority would be to create a database that will help in issuing unique identity cards.

July 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Nandan Nilekani took over as chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIADI) here today. Interacting with the media on the occasion, Nilekani said Unique Identification Numbers would ensure multifarious benefits by enabling different applications.

July 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Infosys Technologies co-founder Nandan Mohan Nilekani formally takes over as the chairperson of the newly formed Unique Identity Authority at Yojana Bhavan, the headquarters of the Planning Commission, here Thursday. Nilekani, 54, will enjoy the rank of a cabinet minister.

July 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has assured to extend full cooperation to the newly formed National Authority for Unique Identity (NAUI) in the compilation and classification of nationwide data of citizens for the proposed exclusive identification cards. This was disclosed by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora after Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of the NAUI called on him here on Tuesday.

July 13th, 2009 BANGALORE - Nandan Nilekani, chairperson of the newly set-up Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI) to provide each Indian an identity card, said Monday a major problem at present is duplicate identity in many of the government systems, leading to fraud. The new authority would help end ID card duplication by creating a network of verification and authentication, Nilekani, co-founder of IT major Infosys, told reporters after meeting Karnataka Chief Minister B.S.

June 26th, 2009 BANGALORE - The board of Infosys Technologies will soon decide whether there is a need for co-chairman in the light of incumbent Nandan M. Nilekani resigning to head the government's unique identification cards project, a top official said Friday.

June 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Import of Chinese mobile phones without unique identity code numbers has been banned, India's commerce ministry announced. "Import of mobile handsets without International Mobile Equipment Identify (IMEI) number or with all-zero IMEI is prohibited with immediate effect, the Director General of Foreign Trade said in a notification.

April 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Department of Telecom (DoT) has directed all mobile phone service users to disconnect the usage of unbranded Chinese mobiles that do not have IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers and pose a serious security risk to the country. The mobile phone companies have undertaken to acquire the necessary equipment to track these phones by April 15 and discontinue their services thereafter - a process that is expected to take another 15 days, that is, by April 30.

March 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Citibank today announced the launch of Citi Mobile, its mobile banking solution that combines the consumer need for convenient, on-the-go banking with advanced mobile technology that is compatible with popular mobile devices across most GSM operators. Through Citi Mobile, customers can check account balances, send money, issue drafts, pay bills, make credit card payments, register for services like e-Statements, request for a cheque book, stop payments and much more.

January 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A 20-year-old man was arrested here for stoning a 10-year-old boy to death and robbing him of a mobile phone and Rs.50, the police said Saturday. Sonu was arrested Friday for murdering Vikas, near Madanpur Khadar in southeast Delhi late Monday, the police said.

January 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Department of Telecom's (Dot) decision to ban mobile phones that do not have the international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) - a unique 15-digit identity code for handsets - has been deferred for 'some time', an official said. 'The order is still pending with the (telecom) ministry.