Fri Nov 21 00:42:00 UTC 2025: Summary:
This article revisits the Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC) pilot project launched by the Indian government in 2008. The project aimed to create a national identity card with biometric data for Indian citizens. While 1.28 million cards were issued, the project was ultimately superseded by the Aadhaar card. The article explores the current status of the MNIC, with residents of Pooth Khurd village, where the pilot project began, recalling their experiences with the card. Some residents recall using the card to get potable water or to avoid paying toll tax. The article also touches upon the ongoing debate around citizenship, the National Population Register (NPR), and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), highlighting the complexities and anxieties surrounding proving citizenship in India.
News Article:
India’s Forgotten ID: A Look Back at the MNIC Project
New Delhi, November 21, 2025 – Seventeen years after its launch, India’s ambitious Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC) project, a pilot program intended to establish a national identification system, remains a little-known chapter in the country’s quest for a unified citizen registry.
In 2008, Mishro Devi, a resident of Pooth Khurd village in Delhi, became the first Indian to receive the MNIC, a smart card containing biometric data and personal information. The pilot project, under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), issued 1.28 million such cards to citizens aged 18 and above.
“We were told it was proof of our citizenship and would help us get better amenities,” Mishro Devi recalls.
However, the MNIC program was eventually overshadowed by the Unique Identification Authority of India’s (UIDAI) Aadhaar card, which achieved widespread adoption. A former MHA official confirmed that biometric data collected during the MNIC project was transferred to the UIDAI to prevent duplication.
While some residents like Rajbir Dabas recall using the card for unintended purposes, such as evading toll tax, most, like Bharpai, have misplaced their MNICs, relying instead on the more ubiquitous Aadhaar card.
The legacy of the MNIC project also surfaces amidst the ongoing debate surrounding citizenship, the National Population Register (NPR), and the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC). Concerns persist regarding the documents required to prove citizenship and the potential for disenfranchisement, particularly following the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in 2019.
The Election Commission’s (EC) decision to conduct a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, aiming to weed out illegal immigrants, has further fueled these anxieties. While the EC now accepts Aadhaar cards as proof of identity for voter registration, the Union government maintains that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.
As India prepares for the 2026 census, the future of the NPR and the NRC remains uncertain. The NPR, a database of residents, was last updated in 2015, and its future updates have been put on hold due to social unrest.
Mishro Devi, however, still treasures her MNIC as a memento of a significant initiative. “It is for posterity,” she says, “The future generations should know that I was the first one to get this card.”
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