Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) Scheme [Bhu-Aadhar]

The Unique Land Parcel Identification Number Scheme or the ULPIN Scheme is the next step in the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme of the Government of India. Government schemes are an important part of the UPSC syllabus. Every year, questions are asked on various schemes of the government in the UPSC prelims exam.

What is ULPIN?

The Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) is a 14-digit identification number accorded to a plot of land. Bhu-Aadhaar or Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) project, is touted as the world’s largest database on land ownership once completed and is being implemented by the Department of Land Resources.

• It is an alpha-numeric unique ID for each land parcel that contains ownership details of the plot besides its size and longitudinal & latitudinal details.
• It is part of the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), a programme that had been initiated in 2008.
• The identification will be based on the longitude and latitude coordinates of the land parcel, and depends on detailed surveys and geo-referenced cadastral maps.
• The number is developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
• The ULPIN scheme was rolled out in 2021 in ten Indian states. The government plans to launch it in all states and UTs by March 2022.
• The idea behind the program is to check land fraud, especially in the rural hinterlands of India, where there are no clear land records and often, land records are ambiguous and land ownership disputed.
• It will eventually integrate its land records database with revenue court records and bank records, as well as Aadhaar numbers on a voluntary basis.
• It is being touted as ‘Aadhar for Land’.
• Proper land statistics and land accounting through the ULPIN scheme will aid in developing land banks and usher in the Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS).

ULPIN Scheme Benefits

The major benefit of having the ULPIN is that all land records and consequently transactions will be transparent. It will help keep land records up-to-date. It will also be easier to share land records across departments, financial institutions and all stakeholders. Through this, it will be possible to deliver land records services to citizens through a single window. The scheme will also protect government land, not to mention, make land acquisitions easier. According to the government, it is also a cost-effective approach. Linking Aadhaar with land records through ULPIN would cost ₹3 per record, while seeding and authentication of landowner Aadhaar data would cost ₹5 each. Completion of the digitisation project of land records will help to mitigate the pendency of cases related to land disputes. Stalling projects due to land disputes led to an economic loss of 1.3% of the GDP of the country. As per a Daksh study, the average pendency of land acquisition disputes is 20 years and 66% of civil suits in India are civil or land-related disputes.

The Reality of Land Disputes in India:

• However, 66% of civil suits are not necessarily related to land or property-related disputes as there will be differences between objective and subjective data.
• A NIPFP working paper in August 2021 shows that the claim of land or property disputes constitute the majority of the court’s caseload and needs convincing data.  
• An analysis of Delhi high court cases shows that 17% of all disputes are related to immovable property. Private parties are the most prominent litigants in these disputes.
• The Union government is the appellant in only 2% of such disputes and the respondent in 18% of cases.
• Disputes related to property litigation are only 13.6% of immovable property litigation and tenancy disputes are the most common type of litigation followed by land acquisition-related disputes.
• Further, there are differences across types of court as 35 per cent of cases before the Supreme Court concern land/property. 
• Economic survey of 2014-15 noted after tracking stalling of projects that land acquisition is not a significant issue.

Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme

The Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP) is a central sector scheme that was initiated in 2008. It was formed as a result of the merger of two schemes that the Land Reforms (LR) Division under the Dept of Land Resources (Ministry of Rural Development) was running, namely, the Computerisation of Land Records (CLR) & Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records (SRA&ULR).

The State Governments/UT Administrations will execute the programme with technical and financial support from the Land Resources Department. The district will be the unit of implementation.

Aims of the DILRMP:

1. Usher in a system of updated land records
2. Automated and automatic mutation
3. Integration between textual and spatial records
4. Inter-connectivity between revenue and registration
5. Replace the present deeds registration and presumptive title system with that of conclusive titling with title guarantee

DILRMP Components:

1. Computerization of land records
2. Survey/re-survey
3. Computerization of Registration

DILRMP Benefits:

• Citizens will get real-time land ownership records.
• Since the records will be placed on the websites with proper security IDs, property owners will have free access to their records without any compromise in the confidentiality of the information.
• Free access to the records will reduce rent-seeking and harassment because of the reduced interface between citizens and government functionaries.
• Abolition of stamp papers and payment of stamp duty and registration fees through banks, etc. will also reduce interface with the registration machinery.
• The time taken for obtaining RoR (record of right), etc. will be reduced because of IT inter-linkages.
• Automatic and automated mutations will significantly reduce the scope of fraudulent property deals.
• Conclusive titling will also significantly reduce litigation.
• Citizens will have better access to credit facilities and information such as market value.

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