The Government in Delhi recently created the Unique Identification Authority, a new state department charged with the task of assigning every living Indian an exclusive number. It will also be responsible for gathering and electronically storing their personal details, at a predicted cost of at least £3 billion.

It may also be put to more controversial ends, such as the identification of illegal immigrants and tackling terrorism. A computer chip in each card will contain personal data and proof of identity, such as fingerprint or iris scans. Criminal records and credit histories may also be included.

Mr Nilekani, who left Infosys, the outsourcing giant that he co-founded, to take up his new job, wants the cards to be linked to a "ubiquitous online database" accessible from anywhere.

Keeping tabs around the world

 Compulsory national identity cards are used in about 100 countries including Germany, France, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain

 German police can detain people who are not carrying their ID card for up to 24 hours

 The Bush Administration resisted calls for an identity card in the US after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001

 Plastic cards are favoured over paper documents because they are harder to forge

 Most identity cards contain the name, sex, date of birth and a unique number for the holder

 South Korean, Brazilian, Italian and Malaysian ID cards contain fingerprints. Cards in some countries contain information on any distinguishing marks of the holder

 In the European Union some cards can be used instead of a passport for European travel

According to a Fox News article, John Holdren -- President Obama's "science czar" -- has espoused the need for forced abortions, sterilizations, and the creation of a "Planetary Regime" that would oversee population levels and protect the planet. The ideas are contained in a book he coauthored in 1977 entitled Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment.
 
"Part of his solution to whatever the crisis he felt was befalling the world at the moment has been population control -- very, very heavy-handed efforts at population control, even to the point of talking about sterilizing populations against their will and so forth," he points out. "So a lot of really scary things that didn't come out in his confirmation hearing."
 
Lieberman adds that Holdren also supports global government -- and not just any global government, but a very heavy-handed and intrusive government. "Again, that seems to be the solution to every one of his supposed crises," Lieberman says.
 
According to Lieberman, the only thing concerned citizens can do at this point is keep a close eye on any statements coming from Holdren's office.