Every family in J-K to get unique ID; BJP welcomes the move, other parties raise concerns

"Family ID" will provide families with a unique alpha-numeric code called JK Family ID which will be used to determine eligibility for receiving social benefits through selection of beneficiaries

The Jammu and Kashmir administration is planning to create an authentic database of all families in the Union territory with each of them having a unique alpha-numeric code – the objective being an easy selection of eligible beneficiaries of various social welfare schemes.

The proposed move to allot "Family ID" has been welcomed by the BJP but panned by other parties which raised concerns over personal data safety.

At the recent national conference on e-governance in Katra in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar released the Digital J&K Vision Document, unveiling the government plan to create an authentic, verified and reliable database of all families of the Union territory.

According to the vision document, "Each family will be provided with a unique alpha-numeric code called JK Family ID. The data available in the family database would be used to determine eligibility through automatic selection of beneficiaries for receiving social benefits."

"The database would identify each and every family in J&K and would collect the basic data of the family, provided with the consent of the family, in a digital format."

The document further reads that all the applicable laws and regulations in respect of data protection shall be complied with in the management of data.

To thwart risks and protect sensitive and critical data, it said the Jammu and Kashmir government plans to work on an information security policy and also envisages formulation of appropriate cyber security framework.