Apr 01, 2010

India begins census that will include photos and fingerprints of all adults

10:27 AM
By Anupam Nath, AP

Today, as Americans face a U.S. Census deadline to answer 10 questions, India began a gigantic exercise to count its estimated 1.2 billion people and to fingerprint and photograph every citizen over the age of 15.

The information will go into a National Register of Citizens, with each person eventually issued a Unique Identity Number, the Times of India reports.

First up is President Pratibha Patil, who will share such details as number of mobile phones, computer, toilets and internet connections in the President's House, the newspaper says.

There's more: the government wants information on literacy, fertility, mortality, language, religions, and migration.

The mammoth project will stretch over 11 months, as 2.5 million census workers first collect basic housing data before beginning the physical counting of people in February, 2011.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... l-adults/1