<Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> National Identity Card </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Date first issued </Th> <Td> 14 September 1972 (first ID card) 28 February 2014 (fully printed and bilingual ID cards) 1 January 2016 (ID cards with 12 - digit NIC number) 1 September 2017 (with Holder's ICAO standard digital picture) 27 October 2017 (new Smart ID card) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Issued by </Th> <Td> Sri Lanka </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Valid in </Th> <Td> Sri Lanka </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Type of document </Th> <Td> Identity card </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Purpose </Th> <Td> Identification </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Eligibility requirements </Th> <Td> Sri Lankan citizenship, 16 years of age or above </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Expiration </Th> <Td> N / A </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> National Identity Card </Th> </Tr>

When did the issuing of the national identity card began in sri lanka