Family ID rollout begins in Jammu Kashmir

June 30, 2025 by News Desk

The Jammu Kashmir administration has launched a Family ID system aimed at centralising citizen data.

The system, led by the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department (PDMD) and supported by departments including Finance, IT, Rural Development and JK Bank, will assign a unique ID to every household and individual, linking them to real-time socio-economic databases.

Technical support comes from the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N).

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, who chaired the launch meeting, called it a critical step toward a more accountable and responsive administration. The ID system will streamline welfare eligibility, reduce duplication, and dynamically update with life events like births, deaths, and migration.

Data from Mission YUVA, a household survey covering over 1.1 crore individuals, will form the system’s base. Field teams and digital tools will verify data, especially in areas where Aadhaar linkage is missing.

Officials say the reform will eliminate repetitive paperwork and allow departments to target support precisely based on over 20 socio-economic indicators, from income to maternal health. A mobile app and citizen portal are also being developed to give families access to their benefits through digital passbooks.

But the initiative hasn’t been free of controversy.

When first proposed under the Manoj Sinha-led administration in 2022, the plan drew sharp criticism from the National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who raised privacy concerns, questioned the need for another ID when Aadhaar exists, and warned of potential surveillance and misuse in Kashmir.

Officials said the rebranded effort, calling it a tool for social justice, not surveillance, and stressed that the new system includes consent mechanisms, Aadhaar-linked authentication, and secure digital infrastructure.

With poverty in J-K at 4.8 percent—below the national average but with comparable intensity of deprivation—the government says the Family ID can help locate and assist the region’s most vulnerable.

The first phase of rollout will begin in Kupwara and Kishtwar, with Aadhaar authentication and backend dashboards expected to be fully functional by late 2025.