Aadhaar: The UID brand name and logo
The brand name of the Unique Identification number (UID) will be Aadhaar. The name and logo for the unique numbers to be issued by the UIDAI have been developed keeping in mind the transformational potential of the program. Together, they communicate the essence and spirit of the UIDAI's mandate to people across the country.
The UIDAI's mandate is to issue every resident a unique identification number linked to the resident's demographic and biometric information, which they can use to identify themselves anywhere in India, and to access a host of benefits and services. The number (referred to until now as the 'UID') has been named Aadhaar, which translates into 'foundation', or 'support'. This word is present across most Indian languages and can therefore be used in branding and communication of the UIDAI program across the country.
As Mr. Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of the UIDAI notes, "The name Aadhaar communicates the fundamental role of the number issued by the UIDAI the number as a universal identity infrastructure, a foundation over which public and private agencies can build services and applications that benefit residents across India."
The UIDAI's mandate is to issue every resident a unique identification number linked to the resident's demographic and biometric information, which they can use to identify themselves anywhere in India, and to access a host of benefits and services. The number (referred to until now as the 'UID') has been named Aadhaar, which translates into 'foundation', or 'support'. This word is present across most Indian languages and can therefore be used in branding and communication of the UIDAI program across the country.
As Mr. Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of the UIDAI notes, "The name Aadhaar communicates the fundamental role of the number issued by the UIDAI the number as a universal identity infrastructure, a foundation over which public and private agencies can build services and applications that benefit residents across India."
Aadhaar's guarantee of uniqueness and centralised, online identity verification would be the basis for building these multiple services and applications, and facilitating greater connectivity to markets
Aadhaar would also give any resident the ability to access these services and resources, anytime, anywhere in the country
Aadhaar can for example, provide the identity infrastructure for ensuring financial inclusion across the country – banks can link the unique number to a bank account for every resident, and use the online identity authentication to allow residents to access the account from anywhere in the country
Aadhaar would also be a foundation for the effective enforcement of individual rights. A clear registration and recognition of the individual's identity with the state is necessary to implement their rights –to employment, education, food, etc. The number, by ensuring such registration and recognition of individuals, would help the state deliver these rights.
The design, which has been selected as the logo for Aadhaar, is a sun in red and yellow, with a fingerprint traced across its centre. The logo effectively communicates the vision for Aadhaar. It represents a new dawn of equal opportunity for each individual, a dawn which emerges from the unique identity the number guarantees for each individual.
In February 2010, the UIDAI launched a nation-wide logo competition for Aadhaar. In the following weeks, over 2000 entries were received from across the country.
The criteria for deciding the winning entry were:
The criteria for deciding the winning entry were:
The logo should bring out the essence of the UIDAI's purpose and goals
The logo should communicate that Aadhaar is a transformational opportunity for individuals across the country, and that it is one that will equalize access to services and resources for the poor
The logo should be one that can be easily understood and communicated across the country
The vast majority of logo designs received for the competition, were innovative and of extremely high quality. The submitted designs were evaluated by the Awareness and Communication Strategy Advisory Council (ACSAC), an advisory group for the UIDAI consisting of renowned communication experts.
The Council short listed the finalists based on the stated criteria. "We faced a very difficult decision in selecting the finalists and the eventual winner," Mr. Kiran Khalap, a member of the Council says, "Thankfully, we had agreed to a set of criteria for selection that minimized subjectivity and bias."
The finalists were:
The Council short listed the finalists based on the stated criteria. "We faced a very difficult decision in selecting the finalists and the eventual winner," Mr. Kiran Khalap, a member of the Council says, "Thankfully, we had agreed to a set of criteria for selection that minimized subjectivity and bias."
The finalists were:
Michael Foley
Saffron Brand Consultants
Sudhir John Horo
Jayanth Jain and Mahendra Kumar
Atul S. Pande
The winning design, shown below, was submitted by Mr. Atul S. Pande of Pune:
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| The Aadhaar logo was unveiled at the UIDAI Ecosystem event held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 26th April 2010. Atul S. Pande, the winner of the logo competition, received Rs.1,00,000 in prize money. The other four finalists received Rs.10,000 each. "It's a great privilege for me to have had this opportunity to contribute to the UIDAI project. I believe this contest reinforces the UIDAI's promise of equal opportunity for all, because it gave so many of us a chance to design for, and be part of, a truly transformational project", said Mr. Pande. | ||
