The appointment of Infy's Nandan nilekani as the head of India's UID project did not came out of the blue. It seems PM got the wind of NN's own writings that talked about providing Unique ID to all Indian citizens. It is not surprising that UPA government is linking the UID to the better delivery of social programs. We all felt the need for a ID system for our own needs like voting, Driving License, Passports etc, but UPA government has taken the leaf out of NN's own thinking which he wrote in his book "Imagining India: Ideas for the New Century"  and linked it to the governance and social justice. Here is a peek into his writing:

Courtsey - Hindustan Times

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=9e884475-7021-498b-90cf-1eeb66209673