The Indian government is introducing identification cards in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in an effort to stamp out illegal immigration from neighbouring Nepal.

The new multi-application smart cards, which contain details of the holder’s identity – including photograph and fingerprints, place of residence and nationality – are being distributed by post office employees in the region’s Nautanwa district. This has a population of 450,000, which includes a sizeable proportion of people of Nepali origin due to its close proximity to the Nepalese city of Bhairahawa.

The Multipurpose National Identification Cards (MNIC) project was initially planned in 2003, and targets India’s 20 border districts.