Nepal government interlinks citizenship and National ID Card (NID)

The National ID project has been such a hassle for citizens. Staying in long queues, filling out forms, providing biometrics, and then waiting years to receive the card. I myself received mine after 3 years. But a recent move by the Nepalese government seems to be on the right track. It is finally linking NID with citizenship to end redundant data entry. Let's get more into this!

National ID and Citizenship Interlink:

Ministry of Home Affairs in the Play

You might already be aware that applying for a National ID requires you to physically visit a specified data entry office and fill out a form. These entry zones operate according to the government schedule, and if you are already employed, allocating time to do so can be a hassle during busy working hours.  

But things are finally changing! Stepping towards digital governance, the Ministry of Home Affairs has interlinked the Centralized Citizenship Management Information System and the National Identity Management Information System. This means the personal info stored in both databases can now communicate with each other to eliminate redundant data entry. 

Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal informed journalists that the new system effectively removes the requirement for citizens to fill out separate application forms for services of a similar nature.

12 Service Points

For the time being, the Ministry has already rolled out this system across 12 different service locations. It is planning to expand the interlinked digital infrastructure across the country in the coming days.

What about the online application?

Okay, the move is now mainly directed at those filling out forms offline, such as at a physical data entry point. As of writing this article, I just hopped onto the DONIDCR website, and it's still required to fill out the details manually. So, I hope it will also be implemented soon for faster applications.

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National ID and Citizenship Interlinking: Conclusion

The National ID Card is a federal identity card with a chip that can store personal information and a citizen's biometrics. The name, birthdate, mother's and father's names, and National Identity Number (NIN), along with iris and 10-finger biometrics, are all included. Unlike citizenship cards, it is a secure document that is difficult to copy or modify.

Meanwhile, citizenship has been an integral part of your national identity for decades now. NID was said to be introduced to replace the traditional citizenship card. But the Nepalese government has yet to provide a clear answer for now. So, both ID cards seem to continue co-existing while the interlinking paves a new way to reduce hassles. It will further strengthen the plan for centralized KYC, so you no longer have to repeatedly provide the same information when signing up across multiple places, such as government offices, banks, and other institutions.