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State and private institutes can verify authenticity of NICs through new online facility
View(s):The Registration of the Person’s Department will go online to authenticate the national identity cards of the citizens of Sri Lanka.
The move that would be operative henceforth will benefit the police, would-be employers and officials of many other institutes to check on the veracity of national identity cards, officials said.
The Department’s Commissioner General, Viyani Gunathilake, said the new facility would be made available to banks, finance companies, government corporations, statutory boards, telecommunication service providers and any other institution set up in accordance with the law.
“We have planned to provide this service to banks, finance companies and telecommunication service providers to curb criminal activities carried out by using false identity cards,” he said.
The Commissioner General added that the move would also enable banks to streamline online transactions and make them fool proof as more and more customers are using online banking in the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation.
Mr Gunathilake said institutes who wish to use the new online service should make a written request to him. Access to the service, available on the website www.niclookup.drp.gov.lk, would be granted only after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the institute and the department.
The institue could thereafter interface with the database and verify details by typing the full name, the NIC number and the address on the card.
Mr. Gunathilake assured that the department has taken maximum precaution to protect the privacy of the people. He said the online system was well secured as the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) was tasked with monitoring and auditing the system.