In 2009, I became extremely concerned with the concept of Unique Identity for various reasons. Connected with many like minded highly educated people who were all concerned.
On 18th May 2010, I started this Blog to capture anything and everything I came across on the topic. This blog with its million hits is a testament to my concerns about loss of privacy and fear of the ID being misused and possible Criminal activities it could lead to.
In 2017 the Supreme Court of India gave its verdict after one of the longest hearings on any issue. I did my bit and appealed to the Supreme Court Judges too through an On Line Petition.
In 2019 the Aadhaar Legislation has been revised and passed by the two houses of the Parliament of India making it Legal. I am no Legal Eagle so my Opinion carries no weight except with people opposed to the very concept.
In 2019, this Blog now just captures on a Daily Basis list of Articles Published on anything to do with Aadhaar as obtained from Daily Google Searches and nothing more. Cannot burn the midnight candle any longer.
"In Matters of Conscience, the Law of Majority has no place"- Mahatma Gandhi
Ram Krishnaswamy
Sydney, Australia.

Aadhaar

The UIDAI has taken two successive governments in India and the entire world for a ride. It identifies nothing. It is not unique. The entire UID data has never been verified and audited. The UID cannot be used for governance, financial databases or anything. It’s use is the biggest threat to national security since independence. – Anupam Saraph 2018

When I opposed Aadhaar in 2010 , I was called a BJP stooge. In 2016 I am still opposing Aadhaar for the same reasons and I am told I am a Congress die hard. No one wants to see why I oppose Aadhaar as it is too difficult. Plus Aadhaar is FREE so why not get one ? Ram Krishnaswamy

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.-Mahatma Gandhi

In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.Mahatma Gandhi

“The invasion of privacy is of no consequence because privacy is not a fundamental right and has no meaning under Article 21. The right to privacy is not a guaranteed under the constitution, because privacy is not a fundamental right.” Article 21 of the Indian constitution refers to the right to life and liberty -Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi

“There is merit in the complaints. You are unwittingly allowing snooping, harassment and commercial exploitation. The information about an individual obtained by the UIDAI while issuing an Aadhaar card shall not be used for any other purpose, save as above, except as may be directed by a court for the purpose of criminal investigation.”-A three judge bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar said in an interim order.

Legal scholar Usha Ramanathan describes UID as an inverse of sunshine laws like the Right to Information. While the RTI makes the state transparent to the citizen, the UID does the inverse: it makes the citizen transparent to the state, she says.

Good idea gone bad
I have written earlier that UID/Aadhaar was a poorly designed, unreliable and expensive solution to the really good idea of providing national identification for over a billion Indians. My petition contends that UID in its current form violates the right to privacy of a citizen, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. This is because sensitive biometric and demographic information of citizens are with enrolment agencies, registrars and sub-registrars who have no legal liability for any misuse of this data. This petition has opened up the larger discussion on privacy rights for Indians. The current Article 21 interpretation by the Supreme Court was done decades ago, before the advent of internet and today’s technology and all the new privacy challenges that have arisen as a consequence.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP Rajya Sabha

“What is Aadhaar? There is enormous confusion. That Aadhaar will identify people who are entitled for subsidy. No. Aadhaar doesn’t determine who is eligible and who isn’t,” Jairam Ramesh

But Aadhaar has been mythologised during the previous government by its creators into some technology super force that will transform governance in a miraculous manner. I even read an article recently that compared Aadhaar to some revolution and quoted a 1930s historian, Will Durant.Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Rajya Sabha MP

“I know you will say that it is not mandatory. But, it is compulsorily mandatorily voluntary,” Jairam Ramesh, Rajya Saba April 2017.

August 24, 2017: The nine-judge Constitution Bench rules that right to privacy is “intrinsic to life and liberty”and is inherently protected under the various fundamental freedoms enshrined under Part III of the Indian Constitution

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the World; indeed it's the only thing that ever has"

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” -Edward Snowden

In the Supreme Court, Meenakshi Arora, one of the senior counsel in the case, compared it to living under a general, perpetual, nation-wide criminal warrant.

Had never thought of it that way, but living in the Aadhaar universe is like living in a prison. All of us are treated like criminals with barely any rights or recourse and gatekeepers have absolute power on you and your life.

Announcing the launch of the # BreakAadhaarChainscampaign, culminating with events in multiple cities on 12th Jan. This is the last opportunity to make your voice heard before the Supreme Court hearings start on 17th Jan 2018. In collaboration with @no2uidand@rozi_roti.

UIDAI's security seems to be founded on four time tested pillars of security idiocy

1) Denial

2) Issue fiats and point finger

3) Shoot messenger

4) Bury head in sand.

God Save India

Monday, March 30, 2015

7692 - TECH COMPANIES CALL ON US TO END BULK COLLECTION OF METADATA

Tech Companies Call on US to End Bulk Collection of Metadata
By Fred O'Connor, 27-Mar-2015

A slew of tech companies have joined privacy groups in calling for the U.S. government to reform its surveillance practices.

An open letter from the tech industry and privacy organizations urges the government to not renew the provision in the Patriot Act that allows for the bulk collection of metadata. That provision, called Section 215, expires in June.

"There must be a clear, strong, and effective end to bulk collection practices," reads the letter, which was signed by the industry group Reform Government Surveillance, whose members include including Apple, Facebook, Google, Evernote, Twitter and Microsoft. Any data collection efforts need to protect user rights and privacy, the letter said.

The issue stems from the bulk collection of metadata, like the length and time of phone calls, by U.S. intelligence groups including the National Security Agency. In 2013 former NSA contractor Edward Snowden released documents that showed the NSA was gathering this information from millions of phone calls.

"Nearly two years after government surveillance revelations came to light, the U.S. Government still has unfinished business to reduce the technology trust deficit it has created," said Fred Humphries, Microsoft's vice president of U.S. government affairs, in a blog post.

Attempts by Congress to reform the country's surveillance programs have so far failed. In November, the Senate voted against a bill that would have reined in the NSA's ability to collect telephone records in bulk.

On Monday, a spokesman for President Barack Obama's National Security Council told Reuters that the administration will stop the bulk data collection if Congress fails to reauthorize it. The administration, however, wants Congress to enact legislation allowing the collection to continue, saying that Section 215 is "a critical national security tool" that has uses besides bulk data collection.

Fred O'Connor writes about IT careers and health IT for The IDG News Service. Follow Fred on Twitter at @fredjoconnor. Fred's e-mail address is fred_o'connor@idg.com


7691 - Australia passes data retention bill amid privacy abuse concerns - Economic Times

AFP Mar 26, 2015, 03.36PM IST

SYDNEY: Australia's upper house Thursday passed a controversial law requiring telecommunication firms to retain customers' digital data for two years as part of a range of counter-terrorism measures, despite fears by privacy advocates of abuse.


The law was passed with the support of the Labor opposition, and received 43 votes in favour with 16 votes against. It was passed by the lower House of Representatives last week.

The Liberal-National coalition government said the legislation was a central tool for law enforcement and intelligence agencies in their fight against terrorism.
"By passing this Bill, the parliament has ensured that our security and law enforcement agencies will continue to have access to the information they need to do their jobs," Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a joint statement.

"No responsible government can sit by while those who protect us lose access to vital information, particularly in the current high threat environment."

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott earlier Thursday did not say how much it would cost to implement the law but added his conservative government would make "an appropriate upfront contribution to the cost" to the telecommunications industry.
The data retention legislation has been slammed by privacy advocates, who say Australians would be vulnerable to the misuse of their personal or private information by the nation's security agencies.

The opposition Greens party, which voted against the bill in the Senate, described the law as "a form of mass surveillance".
"Surveillance should be targeted, proportionate and levelled at serious criminals, organised crime and national security threats. This bill entrenches the opposite," Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said in a statement after the bill was passed.

"The government won't disclose the costs of the scheme, is silent on the risk of unauthorised disclosure, and at no stage has been able to point to evidence that collecting the private records of 23 million non-suspects will keep people safer or reduce the crime rate," he said.

The law has also been criticised as impinging on press freedom, a charge refuted by Brandis and Turnbull who said the government had incorporated several protections for journalists.
"The bill contains new and strengthened safeguards... no comparable nations will have greater pre-authorisation approval and post-authorisation oversight requirements for journalists," they said.

Abbott last month warned of a long era of heightened threats from "home-grown" extremists and announced new security measures including revoking citizenship for dual-nationals linked to terrorism.

Canberra raised its threat level to high in September and has since carried out a series of raids amid alarm over the departure of some 90 of its nationals to Iraq and Syria to fight with jihadist groups.


In December, Man Haron Monis -- a gunman with a history of extremist views -- took 17 people hostage at Sydney cafe. Two hostages were killed in the hours-long seige, one by Monis and the other by a ricocheting bullet when police stormed the building.

7690 - The NYPD's newest technology may end up recording conversations - Business Insider

CALE GUTHRIE WEISSMAN0MAR 26, 2015, 07.23 PM

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

ShotSpotter detects the sound of a gunfire and sends the location to local authorities.

The NYPD's latest anti-crime program may be more invasive than it seems. Called ShotSpotter, this technology claims to help police reduce gun violence by monitoring public streets for loud noises. The problem is: ShotSpotter may also be able to record conversations, Fusion reports.

The company has adamantly maintained that it is not a voice surveillance device, but others aren't so sure.
"There is clear evidence that ShotSpotter can record conversations,"Electronic Frontier Foundation activist Nadia Kayyali told Business Insider.

While ShotSpotter admits that these cases happen, it emphasizes that they are exceptional. It only collects noises that happen at exactly the time of the blast, according to CEO Ralph A. Clark.

"The system basically truncates the noise; two seconds before, maybe three seconds after," Clark explained to Business Insider. He went on to emphasize that ShotSpotter's technology does not live-stream.

"The technology is not capable of doing any online real-time streaming," he said.

Privacy concerns over ShotSpotter, however, may still start to bubble up in New York, which is piloting a $1.5 million project to test the on-the-street equipment.

"This gunshot detection system is going to do a world of good in terms of going after the bad guys," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said when announcing the initiative. Beginning this week, the NYPD will install 300 ShotSpotter microphones in both Brooklyn and the Bronx.

ShotSpotter, which has been used by public authorities for over a decade, is used in over 90 US cities, including Oakland, Newark, Miami, and Worcester. It works by installing sensors that are activated when loud noises are registered. If ShotSpotter hears what it thinks is a gunshot (a loud noise that is registered by three nearby sensors and then confirmed by an internal team), it notifies both the police and its database of the location. The problem, as Fusion reports, is ShotSpotter's program may stand in the way of the some citizens' Fourth Amendment rights.

The cases when ShotSpotter data was used in court present a unique privacy conundrum. 37-year-old Oakland resident Tyrone Lyles's last words were, "Why you done me like that R? R, why you do me like that dude?" Those last moments were recorded and sent to the authorities via ShotSpotter. The recordings were used as evidence to convict Arliton Johnson, Lyles' shooter, of first-degree murder.

Similarly, in New Bedford, Connecticut, a man named Michael Pina yelled "No, Jason! No, Jason!" in 2012 after being shot. Nearby sensors heard his cries, recorded them, and hurled authorities into action. Police then arrested and convicted two men in connection with Pina's murder.


While the merits of determining a gunfire's location seem obvious, ShotSpotter has led to some unintended consequences. In both of the aforementioned cases, ShotSpotter picked up the dying words of these men, and these recordings were subsequently used as evidence in a court of law. This indicates that the company's technology, while intended to merely record loud blasts, has the potential to be a privacy nightmare. Oakland, which has had a contract with the company since 2006, has been debating its use for years now. The Northern California city alone has used the sensors' recordings of human voices as evidence twice.

ShotSpotter claims that its sensors are "specifically designed to be triggered by loud explosive or 'impulsive' sounds only" and that recordings of voices are purely incidental. "The entire system is internally designed not to allow 'live listening' of any sort," the company writes in itsprivacy policy. And when the devices do transmit live audio the recordings only last a few seconds. This does not constitute surveillance, in its eyes.

In his conversation with Business Insider, ShotSpotter 
CEO Clark went on about the specific cases when his company's audio has been used. "Conversations were not recorded," he said. "[There were] people shouting just before or just after a felony." And these cases, he emphasized, have happened fewer than five times out of the millions of impulses that ShotSpotter's sensors have picked up in the last 20 years.

At the same time, the duration of the sensors' recordings were deemed long enough to help identify suspects. This could create a Fourth Amendment problem. Is it enough that ShotSpotter's intention isn't to record voices when it has been used to do just that?
"Of course there are audio sensors that are constantly recording," Oakland Police Captain Ersie M Joyner III said to the Oakland Public Safety Committee last year. "It takes a loud bang to activate the sensors to start recording."


Shotspotter.com
ShotSpotter picks up audio as well as gunshot noises, which could violate 4th amendment rights.

ShotSpotter's critics see a breakdown in what it says it does and what has been done. It's important that communities installing the program know precisely what it does because of the evidence that it can record conversations, according to Kayyali.

"The representations [to communities] need to be accurate," she added.
Another criticism of ShotSpotter is that it may not even be effective. New York City's Public Advocate Letitia James cites the National Institute of Justice, which claims ShotSpotter "accurately detected 80% of test shots." This statistic, however, dates back to 1999. Newer data from Newark show it's less accurate. The New Jersey city has been installing sensors since 2007 and false positives have reportedly been rampant. Between 2010 and 2013, "75% of the gunshot alerts have been false alarms," WNYC reports.
In regards to false positive statistics, Clark said that his company has spent the last five years improving its technology to send out better, more correct reports to authorities.
"We're amazingly good at what we do," he said to Business Insider. "We're not perfect but we strive for perfection."
New York, for its part, is trying to be transparent with how it uses ShotSpotter. Public Advocate James introduced legislation last week that would require the NYPD to provide detailed reports about data collected throughout the year.
"The information that can be gathered from ShotSpotter is critical in helping police respond faster to incidents involving gunshots," said James in her office's press release. "We must also ensure that this technology is used transparently."
Business Insider reached out to James's office about the program's privacy concerns. "ShotSpotter has proven to detect gunfire at impressive rates and I support any measure that helps reduce violence in our communities," she emailed to us in statement. "My office has been in contact with ShotSpotter, and they have assured us they are working to address the issues raised regarding privacy concerns."
Still, regulatory oversight remains woefully behind the times as shiny new devices roll out. Kayyali put it plainly saying, "the law has not caught up."
Clark, though, said he's happy that the conversation about privacy is happening. He maintains that ShotSpotter is anything but a surveillance device, but that new technologies come with certain trade-offs.

"People should be asking [these questions]," he said.

7689 - THE CIA HAS A PROBLEM WITH - Next Gov


Julia Tim/Shutterstock.com
December 22, 2014 

Some tactics CIA operatives use to avoid blowing their cover at airports could be foiled by one of the spy agency’s best surveillance tools: biometric identification.

The growing use of digital fingerprint matching at European airports troubles Langley, according to January 2012 CIA guidelines for using fake IDs that Wikileaks released Sunday.

The agency’s discontent could present an awkward situation for the Department of Homeland Security. DHS is assisting with the rollout of biometric screening at borders worldwide, including in Europe.

The region of concern, called the Schengen area, covers most of the European Union, along with Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Right now, according to “CIA Advice for US Government Operatives Infiltrating Schengen," the region's travel system presents minor obstacles, because unofficial persons are not required to carry visas.
But that is expected to change.

In 2015, a new entry-exit system that mandates fingerprint identification is scheduled to go live, the guidelines note: "The European Commission is considering requiring travelers who do not require visas to provide biometric data at their first place of entry into the Schengen area, which would increase the identity threat level for all U.S. travelers” – spies included.

In October, border control stations at Zurich Airport were outfitted with fingerprint readers to screen visitors. The project "rigorously implements the current requirements of the Schengen Borders Code and is equipped to meet future standards," Heinz Lusti, a project leader with the airport division of the Zurich Cantonal Police, said in a statement.

Russia recently announced a similar fingerprint directive for foreigners, in response to Europe’s policy.

Some U.S. national security experts say the CIA just has to deal.  

“It contradicts what at least should be U.S. policy in supporting more secure borders around the world by saying -- for our very, very narrow purposes and to the exclusion of the rest of the world, we don’t want biometrics in the Schengen area,” said Janice Kephart, border counsel to the 9/11 Commission. “It’s extremely narrow-minded.”

Those checkpoint upgrades will provide biometric data on tourists that is valuable to both the CIA and Schengen partners, she said.

Operatives already have learned techniques to circumvent biometric ID rules in other countries, Kephart added, declining to go into specifics for national security reasons.

“So they really don’t have anything to complain about,” she said. “It will affect their operations in the Schengen area, but they’ve already been dealing with this in other countries so they can basically just adjust.”

The CIA's discomfort with biometric-based screening abroad is unlikely to interfere with DHS’ plans to expand the technology, said Kephart, now CEO of the Secure Identity & Biometrics Association.

“Biometrics has changed their operational intelligence dramatically in the field for the better, being able to learn -- often in close to real-time -- who it is they are really dealing with. The CIA knows this better than anyone," she said.
Foreign spies entering the United States are subject to the same fingerprint test. By law, almost all international visitors to the U.S. are required to submit their prints for entry.

CIA officials declined to comment on the Wikileaks disclosures or the expanded use of biometric identification abroad. 
DHS officials were not able to comment immediately. 

7688 - Planning commission order

Planning commission order
Source: Hueiyen News Service


Imphal, March 28 2015 : State Government has submitted all the requisite documents indicating the number of BPL enrolled under NPR.

According a notification issued by Joint Secretary Planning, Government of Manipur Dr Th Munindro Singh, the total number of BPL population enrolled in the state as on July 11 last is 99,181 out of 1,162,513 population of BME under NPR and the following documents which have already furnished to UIDAI are also enclosed.

These documents include UC indicating number of BPL enrolled with claim proposal planning department's letter of even number dated on October 15 last.

Finance department's letter number 6/18/2010'FC dated 9/10/2014 for submission of UC indicating number of BPL enrolled.

And Planning Department's letter dated 10/11/2014 for submission of minutes of the State Level Committee for Implementation of UDI/Aadhaar indicating approved BPL population enrolled and Aadhaar number generated.

He further appealed the Ministry of Finance, Government of India to release subsequent tranches of 13th Finance Commission grant at earliest.


* This news is as published by respected news daily at Imphal, whose name is duly marked as 'Source'. E-Pao.net is not responsible for it's sanctity & originality.

7687 - Senior Citizen Duped of Gold - New Indian Express

By Express News Service
Published: 29th March 2015 06:04 AM

PUDUCHERRY: Police are on the look out for a youth who stole 15 sovereigns of gold from a house at Venkatanagar here on Friday.


Police said the youth came to the house of Krishnasamy (77) on the pretext of verifying Aadhaar card details. Krishnasamy let him in and handed over the Aadhaar card to him. As he got a call, Krishnasamy left the room.Only after the youth left the house did Krishnasamy realise the jewels were missing. He lodged a complaint.

7686 - Rare honour for Krishna district - The Hindu


VIJAYAWADA, March 29, 2015
Updated: March 29, 2015 05:51 IST

M. SRINIVAS

Krishna district has stood first in the State in disbursal of pensions through Postal Department, officials said. The department has covered 95.28 per cent of beneficiaries in Krishna region compared to other districts in Andhra Pradesh. Using internet-based Point of Transaction Devices (PoTD), the department has been issuing pensions to old people, widows and disabled persons for the last four months.

These devices were linked to Aadhaar cards of beneficiaries to ensure hassle-free distribution of pensions, according to officials.

They said pensions were being distributed as part of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS). “We have distributed Rs. 162 crore to as many as 3.17 lakh beneficiaries in the district and covered 95.28 per cent pension holders,” said a senior official.


The official said the government would give payment order either on 30th or 31st of every month and release funds which will be under the control of the head post office. Transaction details would be transferred to PoTDs. Beneficiaries should visit post offices to claim the pension amount during first week of every month.

7685 - Electoral services launched - The Hindu

CHENNAI, March 29, 2015
Updated: March 29, 2015 05:33 IST

STAFF REPORTER

Chief Electoral Officer Sandeep Saxena on Friday launched a range of electoral services through common service centres. Launching the services in Mylapore Taluk Office on Friday, Dr.Saxena said over 600 centres in the state will start offering services to residents.

In addition to changing the name and address on the electoral roll, residents will also be able to link Aadhaar number, change name as in Aadhaar data, register mobile number and email address.

A number of visitors to the common service centres are expected to increase following the commencement of electoral services.


Residents can also pay property tax, receive community certificates, get birth certificates or pay water tax at the centres.


7684 - Meet soon to debate row over Aadhaar registration - Deccan Herald

Mangaluru: March 29, 2015, DHNS


District-in-Charge Minister Ramanath Rai has said that a meeting with the Director of e-governance and IT and BT department director will be convened shortly to discuss on row over Aadhaar registration in Dakshina Kannada district. 

Speaking at the tri monthly KDP meeting here on Saturday, Member of the Legislative Assembly J R Lobo and Member of the Legislative Council Ivan D’Souza said that only 30 tokens are issued daily for the enrolling names under Aadhaar. People in Dakshina Kannada district are finding it difficult to enrol their names for Aadhaar cards.

“In fact, in a few Aadhaar enrolment centres, the residents wait for availing token in the wee hours. The tokens get exhausted within a few hours. In fact, agents have come up and started availing tokens for money. There were several glitches in the enrolments process and long queues hinder the process.”

Enrolment centres
Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said that as per the directions of the government Aadhaar centres were opened in all the 17 Atal Janasnehi Centres. With this, there are 27 Aadhaar enrolment centres in the district.

In addition to the day-to-day work, the existing staff at the Naada kacheri have to enrol the names for Aadhaar, which is a tedious process.

The district administration has submitted a detailed report to the government on  the impending problems at the Aadhaar enrolment centres and asked to appoint an operator to look into the works related to Aadhaar enrolment.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Sadashiva Prabhu said that about 79 per cent of population have already enrolled their names for Aadhaar in the district. After the centres were opened in Naada kacheri, 6,780 registrations have been carried out.

Shiradi ghat

NH official said that the first phase of the work on 13.620 -km stretch on Shiradi Ghat road will be completed by May end. The movement of vehicles are likely to commence by monsoon.

The tender for the second phase of work  for 13-km stretch for concreting and 21-km for asphaltation has been invited. The last date for tender is April 4.

Superintendent of Police Sharanappa said that if it rains, Charmadi Ghat stretch will be a disaster, if no measures are taken to check the eroding of the soil used for widening the road. The officials should focus on improving the Charmadi Ghat stretch.

Deputy Commissioner directed the officials to asphalt the road which has been widened on the stretch before the onset of monsoon.

Bengre residents demand
Raising the issue of residents of Bengre demanding NOC from the Mangalore City Corporation to seek electricity connections, MLA J R Lobo said that the issue needs to be solved by the MCC commissioner and Mescom.

The Mangalore City Corporation can give NOC with a condition that the NOC should be used for the availing electricity connections and not for availing door number or title deeds. KRDCL official said that the work on approach road to Mangalore International Airport will be ready by March end.

7683 - Legislators upset with Aadhaar centres - The Hindu

MANGALURU, March 29, 2015
Updated: March 29, 2015 05:43 IST

RAVIPRASAD KAMILA


District in-charge Minister B. Ramanatha Rai, at the Karnataka Development Programme review meeting at Netravathi Hall in Mangaluru on Monday.— Photo: H.S. Manjunath

The company handling the centres to be questioned

A Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) Review meeting here on Saturday decided to summon senior officials from Bengaluru responsible for Aadhaar registration after legislators pointed out that there is a mess at the registration counters.
Raising the issue, Ivan D’Souza, MLC, said that at some counters, people would have to stand in queue from 4 a.m. to get the tokens. People allege that touts take away the tokens to make some quick money.

Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said Aadhaar registration was being done via 27 computers at different places in the district.

He said that 79 per cent of the population in the district had registered to get Aadhaar cards.

Mr. Ibrahim threw up his hands saying that he did not have any control over employees of the private company entrusted with Aadhaar registration at three places in the district, including on the ground floor of the Mangaluru City Corporation building, at Puttur and B.C. Road where the company has a total of seven computers — two each in Puttur and B.C. Road centres, and three at the corporation building centre.

The complaints were mainly against this company. Mangalore One centres, under the Department of Information Technology, Science and Technology and Biotechnology, have reserved a computer each at Lalbagh, Light House Hill, Kadri and Surathkal for registration.

In addition, registration was being done through 16 computers at Nada Kacheri offices being managed by revenue officials.
He said that as revenue officials had to attend to both the works it would take at least three years to cover the balance 21 per cent of population, the meeting was told.

J.R. Lobo, MLA, Mangaluru City South, who supported Mr. D’Souza’s views, said that senior officials of the department in charge of Aadhaar registration and the company executives who have been entrusted with the task, should be summoned.
A meeting should be held shortly to sort out all issues. District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai agreed to it.

Ivan D’Souza, MLC, alleged here on Saturday that some schools were insisting that students should produce Aadhaar cards to get hall tickets to appear for examinations.

At a Karnataka Development Programme review meeting here, he said that this had created confusions among parents. Walter D’Mello, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, said that his department had not issued any such direction to schools and Aadhaar card was not needed to get hall tickets.

But some schools have indeed insisted for it. Father of a student residing at Kodical showed The Hindu an SMS sent by a school in Lady Hill to him. It read: “Dear Parent, kindly send your ward’s Aadhaar card photocopy on March 16 (Monday) without fail.” The message had been sent on March 14.

7682 - Aadhaar not required for schoolchildren - TNN


TNN | Mar 29, 2015, 12.06 PM IST

MANGALURU: Aadhaar cards are not made mandatory for school students, emphasized deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim and deputy director of public instructions (DDPI) Walter D'Mello. 

The duo made this statement at the quarterly Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting held on Saturday. 

At the review meet chaired by district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai, MLC Ivan D'Souza pointed out that several schools in the district are demanding Aadhaar cards from students. 

Inconvenience for all 

"Parents are made to suffer as schools are demanding Aadhaar card copies of their wards. Children, instead of preparing for the final exams, are made to wait in the queue at Aadhaar card registration centres. The district administration should either make necessary arrangements for the speedy disposal of Aadhaar cards or stop the process completely," the MLC said. 

DC Ibrahim and D'Mello reaffirmed that the government has not made Aadhaar card compulsory for students. D'Mello said: "The department has not received any direction from the government. We have not directed schools to make Aadhaar card compulsory for students," he clarified. 

Mangalore City South MLA J R Lobo pointed out that the process of Aadhaar card registration is unorganized in the district. 

"Although tokens are issued to the citizens, when they go to the venue, they don't find anyone at the registration counters. The district administration should convene a meeting of IT department officials immediately to solve the crisis," he added. 

Minister Rai said that a meeting of state officials will be held shortly to discuss issues related to Aadhar card distribution. 

The DC said 71% of people in Dakshina Kannada have registered for Aadhar card. "Over 16 lakh people have registered for Aadhaar card in the district. We are in the process of registering over 4.5 lakh people, and the task has been entrusted to a private agen cy," he added. 

Additional deputy commissioner J Sadashiva Prabhu pointed out that in addition to four centres in the city, the district administration has made provision for Aadhaar card registration at 16 out of 17 nadakacheris in the district. Howeve r, shortage of staff is hindering the registration process, he said. 

7681 - Aadhaar Card not made compulsory for students, say officials - TNN

Aadhaar Card not made compulsory for students, say officials
Vinobha K T, TNN | Mar 28, 2015, 08.05PM IST

MANGALURU: Deputy Commissioner (DC) A B Ibrahim and deputy director of public instructions (DDPI) Walter D'Mello said that Aadhaar Card has not been made compulsory for students in schools.

The DC and DDPI were answering to a question raised by MLC Ivan D'Souza at a quarterly KDP meet held at Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat on Saturday. D'Souza brought to the notice of district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai, who chaired the meet, that many schools in the district are forcing parents to submit Aadhaar Card copies of their wards. "Parents are made to suffer as schools are demanding Aadhaar Card copies of their wards. Children are made to stand in queue in front of Aadhaar Card registration centres even when annual examinations are going on. Either the district administration should make necessary arrangements for the speedy disposal of Aadhaar Cards or stop the process completely," D'Souza said.
Answering to D'Souza's query, Ibrahim said that government has not made Aadhaar Card compulsory for students. "We have not received any circular making Aadhaar Card compulsory in schools," he added.

DDPI D'Mello said that the department has not received any direction from the government with regard to Aadhaar Card. "We have not directed schools to make Aadhaar Card compulsory for students," he clarified.

Mangalore City South MLA J R Lobo said that the process of Aadhaar Card registration is not in order in the district. "Tokens are issued to citizens, who reach the Aadhaar Card registration centres, but they find nobody there. The district administration should convene a meeting of IT department officials immediately to solve the crisis," he added.

Minister Rai said a meeting of state officials will be held to discuss about issues related to Aadhar Card distribution soon.
The DC said at zilla panchayat KDP meet that 71% of people in Dakshina Kannada have registered for Aadhar Card. "As many as 16 lakh people have already registered for Aadhaar Card in the district. The process to registering over 4.5 lakh remaining people is being continued. The process of Aaadhaar Card registration has been entrusted to a private agency," he added.

Additional deputy commissioner J Sadashiva Prabhu said, in addition to four centres in the city, the district administration has made provision for Aadhaar Card registration at 16 out of 17 nadakacheris in the district. However, shortage of staff hinders the process of registration in nadakacheris, he added.

7680 - Aadhaar count in 13 states higher than their populations


Bharti Jain,TNN | Mar 29, 2015, 05.13 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Aadhaar numbers assigned to adult residents in 13 of the country's 36 states and Union territories have exceeded their respective population as per 2011 census figures. Not only this, the overall Aadhaar coverage in Delhi and Telangana is already more than their population. 

Unusual as it seems, experts claim that this anomaly between the census figures and Aadhaar numbers assigned in the states is not abnormal. Apart from attributing it to the increase in population since 2011 and migration of residents in between states, they also allege that certain "gaps" in census enumeration may have left scope for errors in the population data. 

While Aadhaar coverage among the Delhi's 18-plus age group is the highest at 127.6% of their 2011 headcount, other states reflecting this trend are undivided Andhra Pradesh (113.7%), Himachal Pradesh (112.5%), Sikkim (109.2%), Punjab (109.1%), Kerala (108.6%), Lakshadweep (108%), Jharkhand (107.1%), Chandigarh (106.9%), Goa (106.8%), Puducherry (106.8%), Tripura (103.8%) and Haryana (103.5%). 

Incidentally, in Delhi and Telangana, Aadhaar numbers allotted so far stand at 105.9% and 102.9% of their 2011 census population. 

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which administers the Aadhaar scheme, has so far assigned 786 million Aadhaar numbers across the country. While 642 million numbers were generated in 24 states/UTs assigned to UIDAI, around 144 million Aadhaar numbers were assigned in the 12 states being handled by Registrar General of India (RGI). 

UIDAI officials discount the possibility of any errors in Aadhaar enrolment, claiming that the data collected by them is foolproof as it contains biometrics that are unique to each resident. "On the other hand, one cannot vouch for census data as the enrolment process is highly decentralized... There is a possibility that many citizens who were not found at their addresses during the headcount may have been missed out by the enumerator," an expert pointed out. 

The census authorities, on the other hand, insist that its enumeration exercise is time-tested and based on a elaborate house-to-house verification of the residents. 

UIDAI states are ahead of RGI states in terms of Aadhaar enrolment, with the UIDAI having covered over 80% population across 14 states. The RGI, however, has been rather slow in terms of enrolment, with seven of the 12 states allotted to it showing an enrolment of under 50%. In fact, Aadhaar numbers have been assigned to just 0.7% and 0.8% of the residents in Meghalaya and Assam respectively. 

The UIDAI, which was asked to take charge of enrolment in states like UP and Bihar in February last year, has assigned the 16-digit Aadhaar number to around 91 million people in UP (49% of the its 2011 census population) and 37 million in Bihar (35.3%). 

Overall coverage of Aadhaar across the country is 65%, though for those aged 18 years and above, this goes up to 82%. 

UIDAI hopes to complete enrolment in the states assigned to it, by June this year.

7679 - Telangana Epass Fresh Application Renewal 2015 – Apply Online


JADHAV DIVYA 28 March, 2015


- See more at: http://allindiaroundup.com/telangana-epass-fresh-application-renewal-2015/#sthash.H2VxXJEp.dpuf

Telangana Epass Fresh Application Renewal 2015 – Apply Online: The Government of Telangana is providing financial assistance to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward Class, Disabled, and Economically Backward Class students studying post-matriculation courses on saturation approach to enable them to complete their education. Here we have provided you with information regarding Telangana Epass Scholarships Fresh, Renewal applications, Telangana Epass Scholarships Apply Online, et - See more at: http://allindiaroundup.com/telangana-epass-fresh-application-renewal-2015/#sthash.H2VxXJEp.dpuf

Telangana Epass Postmatric Scholarship For Fresh Application 2015:
All the students who are willing to apply for Telangana Epass Scholarships for Fresh Applications need to the following scanned documents for Fresh Registration Process.
Documents required for fresh scholarship:
  • SSC
  • Past 7 years study certificates
  • Caste and AadhaarNumber (if not then you can check your Aadhaar status by EID on Aadhaar receipt or go to nearest Aadhaar center in your Area.
  • Income from mee Seva after (02/06/2014).
  • For intermediate students, details should submitted to board of intermediate by principal. for epass registration on telanganaepass.cgg.gov.in.
  • CET details (ICET, EAMCET, PGCET, OUCET hall ticket number, rank card number etc) if your admission through Entrance test.
  • Bank Account Passbook details like IFSC code, bank account number, branch name.
  • Mobile Number for receiving ONE-TIME PASSWORD through SMS.
  • Email ID
Documents to upload:

  • Passport photo
  • Bank passbook front page scanned copy.
  • CET allotment order
  • Past 7 years study/bonafide certificates from school/ college.
How To Apply For Epass Telangana Postmatric Scholarship Fresh?
Follow the below mentioned steps to fill the Fresh Applications form of Epass Telangana Scholarship 2014-15.

  • Click on the Postmatric Scholarships For Fresh Registration link.

  • After you can Select the SSC Pass Type i.e AP Regular, CBSE, Other Board, APOSS, OSSC, Supplmentary or Direct Degree.
  • Then go to the next step i.e Enter your SSC Hall Ticket Number, SSC Passed year and Date of Birth.
  • After Enter your details you can see many blank boxes.

  • You can fill the details i.e CET Number, Aadhaar Card or UID Number, Address, Father Name, Mobile Number etc.
  • Finally you can upload your respective Seat Allotment Order, Income Certificate, Caste Certificate, Ration Card, Aadhaar Card etc. Thats all.
How To Apply For Epass Telangana Postmatric Scholarship Renewal?
All the students who are willing to apply for Telangana Epass Scholarships for Renewal Applications need to the following scanned documents for Renewal Registration Process for the Academic Year 2014-15.
Documents required renewal scholarship:
  • Past 7 years study certificates
  • Last year marks memo
  • Original income Affidavit
  • Aadhaar card and bank account photocopies.
Follow the below mentioned steps to apply for Epass Telangana Postmatric scholarship resnewal.

  • Enter all the required details like Enter Previous Year Application ID, SSC Pass Type, SSC Hall Ticket number, SSC Pass year.


Stay tuned with us for more updates on Epass Telangana Postmatric Scholarship. Press CTRL+D right now to bookmark this page.
- See more at: http://allindiaroundup.com/telangana-epass-fresh-application-renewal-2015/#sthash.H2VxXJEp.dpuf

7678 - Delhi becomes first State to launch e-ration card service - The Hindu

NEW DELHI, March 28, 2015
Updated: March 28, 2015 05:35 IST


MOHAMMED IQBAL

A woman with a printout of an e-ration card during the function held at the Delhi Secretariat on Friday.— Photo: Meeta Ahlawat


Delhi became the State in the country to launch an e-ration card service with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal initiating the scheme on Friday. The scheme for linking ration and Aadhaar cards would enable the beneficiaries of Public Distribution System (PDS) to get the cards online from the government’s web portal without hassles.

The new facility is expected to curb corruption and increase transparency in the system.

Launching the scheme in the State Secretariat auditorium here, Mr. Kejriwal said e-ration cards would bring immense convenience to the people of the Capital, as the new arrangement would cut down the delays in preparation and delivery to the beneficiaries.

As soon as an application for providing food security is approved by the Food Supply Officer concerned, a message will go to the cellphone number of the beneficiary informing him or her about approval of application and ration card.

The beneficiary can go to the portal of the department, http://nfs.delhi.gov.in, enter the ration card number and other basic information and get a password on cellphone. After entry of this password, the e-ration card will be generated which can be stored in the electronic form and used to get the ration supplies. It can also be printed by the beneficiary from anywhere.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Kejriwal said his government was committed to eradicating corruption in PDS and assured that strict action, including registration of criminal cases, would be taken against those found guilty. No one indulging in diversion and blackmarketing of ration would be spared, he added.
Mr. Kejriwal said many more e-government initiatives, including computerisation of fair price shops, would be launched in near future.

7677 - More Aadhaar cards seeded than LPG connections - The Hindu

VIJAYAWADA, March 28, 2015
Updated: March 28, 2015 05:54 IST




Collector points at discrepancies in the data presented by gas dealers

Krishna district, which has 9,53,717 LPG consumers, has registered completion of Aadhaar seeding for 9,56,348 connections. Sounds funny? But, the whopping figures were revealed at a review meeting here on Friday, much to the surprise of officials.

With the announcement of the gas dealers, Collector Babu A. took no time to point at the discrepancies in the data presented by the dealers and bankers. To buttress his argument, Mr. Babu cited the statistics that 22 agencies of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) had 20,033 accounts in the district, of which only 17,042 had been found to be genuine beneficiaries. .

“The functioning of dealers and bankers is not to the expected lines. Dealers must stop sending half-baked and inconsistent information to the district administration. They should not mislead the government. Instead, they should help ensure that the subsidy reach the true beneficiaries,” he said.

More so, the forum inferred that there has been a steep fall in number of LPG connections in the district when compared to that of last year.

Fall in customer count
The officials claimed that there were 11,37,296 LPG consumers in the district, when negotiations between gas dealers and bankers were on a year ago and the seeding process commenced.

They further said that 7,46,853 LPG consumers had their Aadhaar details linked with bank accounts of which 5,21,104 had been registered with banks. There are 74 gas agencies functioning in the district.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the inordinate delay in completion of the Aadhaar seeding, the Collector asked the bankers, LPG dealers to complete the process at the earliest, adding that the consumers should submit their Aadhar details to banks and gas agencies, to avail the subsidy.
Joint Collector Gandham Chandrudu and others were also present.

The functioning of dealers and bankers is not to the expected lines. Dealers must stop sending half-baked and inconsistent information to the administration. They should not mislead the government.
Babu A.,Krishna Collector

Saturday, March 28, 2015

7676 - आधार कार्ड को अनिवार्य करने पर न्यायालय ने मांगा जवाब

Patrika news network Posted: 2015-03-27 

इलाहाबाद

इलाहाबाद उच्च न्यायालय ने उत्तर प्रदेश के खाद्य एवं आपूर्ति विभाग के प्रमुख सचिव से पूछा है कि वह बताएं कि उच्चतम न्यायालय की रोक के बावजूद प्रदेश के शासकीय विभागों और खाद्य एवं आपूर्ति विभाग में आधारकार्ड की अनिवार्यता नागरिकों पर क्यों थोपी जा रही है।

उच्च न्यायालय ने कहा है कि प्रमुख सचिव एक अप्रैल 15 को इस संबंध में की जा रही कार्रवाई से न्यायालय को अवगत कराएं। बागपत में राशनकार्ड बनवाने के लिए वहां के जिला पूर्ति अधिकारी ने आधार कार्ड को अनिवार्य बनाया है। 

बिना आधार कार्ड के फार्म स्वीकार नहीं किये जा रहे हैं। मुख्य न्यायधीश डी वाई चन्द्रचूड और पी के एस बघेल ने इस मामले में दाखिल याचिका पर सुनवाई करते हुए इस मामले की अगली तिथि एक अप्रैल निर्धारित की है। 

इसको लेकर इलाहाबाद उच्च न्यायालय में पवन तिवारी ने एक जनहित याचिका दायर की है। याचिका में कहा गया है कि सरकारी दफ्तरों अन्य कार्यालयों में लाभार्थियों के लिए आधारकार्ड बनवाने की अनिवार्यता खत्म की जाए। 


याचिका मे कहा गया है कि सरकार ने राशनकार्ड बनवाने तथा उसका नवीनीकरण कराने के लिए आधारकार्ड को अनिवार्य कर दिया है जबकि ऐसा करना गलत है

7675 - Verification begins - The Hindu

NAGERCOIL, March 27, 2015

Verification begins
STAFF REPORTER

Field verification of details of voters under the National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme (NERPAP) began in the district on Wednesday, said Collector Sajjansing R. Chavan. In a statements issued here, he said booth-level officials would go door-to-door to collect information such as Aadhaar card and Electors’ Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers, mobile phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the voters. The electors had to give photocopies of their Aadhaar cards and EPICs to the officials.


The voters with more than one entry in electoral rolls could submit Form 7 to the officials. The voters could submit Form 8 for corrections, if any, in the entries in the voters list. Those who wished to change their photos could submit passport size photographs. The exercise would continue till April 6. A review meeting of the officials was held at the Collectorate earlier in the week, it added.

7674 - Look to India for prototype of a universal ID card The News Tribune

The News TribuneMarch 26, 2015 


An Indian girl in Kolkata gets her retina scanned as she enrolls for Aadhar, India’s unique identification project in May 2012. 

The giant identification project, which aims to give everyone an identity record and number for the first time, involves recording retina scans, fingerprints and photographs of all 1.2 billion Indians.
BIKAS DAS — The Associated Press

What if you had an ID card that, if lost or stolen, could not be replicated or used by anyone else because it’s linked to your personal biometric data – fingerprints and retinal scan?

That card would be completely private, with a unique identifying number. It would give easy access to any benefits the holder is due – think Social Security, veterans or food stamps – because they would go directly to a bank linked to the card. Where an ID is required to vote, the card would provide incontrovertible proof that the voter is eligible. It would corroborate that the holder is a citizen who could be hired for jobs requiring citizenship.

Impossible? Hardly. More than 770 million citizens of India already are using such a card – called Aadhaar there. Although signing up for the card is voluntary and originally targeted at India’s poorer citizens as a more efficient way of delivering public benefits, it’s proved so popular and useful that many in the middle class have signed up for it.

For the Rev. Andrew Young, whose foundation would like to see Washington state be a U.S. laboratory for such a card, the link to his efforts on behalf of the poor is clear. The card would make it easier and safer for low-income Americans who might not have a bank or even a home address to access their benefits.

That’s why liberals would like it, but Young thinks it’s something that conservatives would support because of its voluntary nature and the fact that it could help decrease benefits waste and fraud: Only the person entitled to the aid would have access to it. Consider how that would affect just the black market in SNAP (food stamp) benefits. A person couldn’t sell their benefits because they would be linked to a card that not only has the recipient’s photo on it but includes scannable biometric information.

An important component in India’s Aadhaar card, and would be absolutely necessary if a similar card were to be used here, is its confidentiality. Many people won’t sign up for it if they knew the police would have access to its biometric information. As in India, it would have to be administered by a completely separate and independent agency that would resist police requests for user information.

Young, who was in the state recently for the governor’s prayer breakfast, says Washington is the logical place to incubate the card in the U.S. because it’s a trend-setter and because companies in this state pioneered the technology used in India’s card. “Why not take the lead?” he asks.

As the world’s largest democracy, India may have something to teach this one when it comes to a workable universal ID card.

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7673 - Door to Door Verification for Poll Roll Purification - New Indian Express

By ENS
Published: 26th March 2015 10:38 PM

CHENNAI: As many as 64,099 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across the State have started making door to door visits for collecting Aadhaar details, contact information and other particulars about voters as part of the “National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme (NERPAP),” launched on March 3, for an error-free authenticated electoral rolls. This exercise would continue till April 6.

Chief Electoral Officer Sandeep Saxena kickstarts this at Mylapore Taluk Office here today (March 27). An official release from the CEO said special camps would be conducted at all polling station locations on April 12 and 26 and May 10 and 24 (all Sundays).

To monitor NERPAP implementation, as per the directions of the Election Commission, 10 IAS officers have been appointed as Special Observers for the all districts in the State.

From April 13, special hearings would be held at the offices of the Electoral Registration Officers/Assistant Electoral Registration Officers at least twice a week up to May 31, in the afternoon. Voters who had not submitted their claims and objections during BLO visits and special camps could submit forms for inclusion/deletion/correction/transposition during the special hearing.

To have wider penetration of correction, it has been decided, to offer services through authorised Internet Browsing Centres and Common Service Centres (CSCs). Voters could avail them by paying the fixed nominal charge.

Rs.10 is the fee for each of the following services: Addition of name (Form 6), Deletion of name (Form 7), Modification of name/other details (Form 8) and Transposition of name (Form 8A). Other services: printing of Electoral roll  Rs.3 Per Page), search  Services Name in Electoral Roll, Name of Polling Station, Status of Application, Status of Grievance etc. - Rs.2), print out, if required, on result of Search Services (Rs.2) and Registration of complaint (Rs.10).

While applying for any of the above services, the Aadhar No. and Contact details would also be seeded through the CSCs. In cases where Aadhar is not allotted, the Enrolment Identity No (EID) issued at the time of enrolment for Aadhar may also be seeded. The applicant would be informed of his/her submission of application through SMS/e-mail, and he/she given a receipt by the CSCs carrying the application number.

Application status could be tracked on the website  viz:www.elections.tn.gov.in. Further, SMS alert would also be given to the applicants as and when orders are passed by AROs and EROs.


Moreover, voters could voluntarily furnish information through: the National Voters Service Portal (NVSP) using web services of Election Commission website, by SMS to “51969” - ECILINKEPICNOAAdhaar no, by E-mail: tnvoteraadhaar@gmail.com, by Mobile application, by Making a call to toll free nos.- ‘1950’, ‘1077’ and by submitting details in a hard copy, with photocopies of both EPIC and Aadhaar letter/card, attached to it

7672 - Kejriwal to launch e-ration scheme on Friday - Business Standard



IANS  |  New Delhi  March 26, 2015 Last Updated at 18:34 IST

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will launch the e-ration card service in the national capital on Friday.

Delhi will implement the scheme which links the ration and Aadhaar cards together in a bid to curb corruption and bring in transparency and increase accountability, an official said on Thursday.

"Those who have Aadhaar cards can apply online and those who applied and are waiting to get one can use the Aadhaar card number on the online slip," the official said.

Other proofs of identity will also be accepted, the official added.

7671 - 3 More Days to File Grievances - New Indian Express

By Express News Service
Published: 26th March 2015 06:00 AM

KOCHI: Only three more days are left for the public to file their grievances to the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s  Mass Contact programme which will be held here on April 23. All the applicants should follow the guidelines strictly, Ernakulam District Collector M G Rajamanickam said on Wednesday. The petitions for the mass contact programme for Ernakulam district can be submitted through Akshaya centres, taluk offices or the district collectorate till March 28.


For submission of petitions, people are requested to bring their Aadhaar card or any other identity card with photo. The petitions can be also submitted online through the official website of the Chief Minister. The UID number of the applicants, the Bank Account number linked with UID card and Mobile number should be clearly mentioned in the application. Those who do not have a mobile  phone should  mention the number of their friends or relatives. For more details, the public can make use of the toll free numbers: 1076 (BSNL landphone) or 18004251076 (mobile phones). Overseas callers should dial +91471 1076.

However, priority will be given to the applications submitted online before the deadline. The applications that are received after the deadline will be considered separately.

While  applying online, the applicants should file separate petitions for each of their grievance. The status of the complaints and further procedures will be communicated to the applicants via sms and e-mail. The District Collector will assess the recommendations  by the officials of each department concerned on each complaints. The applications  on subjects dealt by different departments will be recorded by using different codes. There will be separate counters for  applications filed directly. The registration is mandatory for filing the complaints as it is necessary to ensure further proceedings on the grievances. For bed ridden patients, their photograph along with doctor’s certificate should be uploaded along with the complaint.

7670 - CM’s mass contact programme - The Hindu

KOCHI, March 26, 2015


People should follow the guidelines while submitting applications for the mass contact programme of the Chief Minister to be held here on April 23, District Collector M.G. Rajamanickam has said. Applications must contain the Aadhaar number, Aadhaar-based bank account number and mobile number of the applicant. The last date for submitting the applications online is March 28. Complaints can be submitted through Akshaya centres, taluk offices and the collectorate. Contact the toll free number at the Chief Minister’s Office on 1076 (BSNL/land line), 1800425 1076 (other mobile services) and +914711076 (from abroad) for clarification.




7669 - Authentication of poll roll to start today - The Hindu

TIRUCHI, March 25, 2015

Authentication of poll roll to start today

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Collection of details of voters under the National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme (NERPAP) would begin in the district from Wednesday, Collector K.S.Palanisamy has said.

Booth level officers would go door-to-door to collect information such as Aadhaar card and Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers, mobile phone numbers and e-mail addresses from the voters. Voters have been requested to hand over photocopies of their Aadhaar and EPICs to booth level officers.

Form 7
Voters with more than one entry in electoral rolls, either within a constituency or in other constituencies, can also submit Form 7 to the officers.

They can also submit Form 8 for corrections, if any, in the entries in the voters list. Those who wish to change their photos can submit passport size photographs.

Voters can also upload their Aadhaar and EPIC details in the national voters service portal or email to tnvoteraadhaar
@gmail.com or convey the details by dialling 1950, he said in a press release.


7668 - Ration cards: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh save Rs 1,648cr - Deccan Chronicle


DC CORRESPONDENT | March 26, 2015, 08.03 am IST

In Telangana, 67,22,084 persons and 69,55,312 in AP were weeded out, officials from both states said. (Photo: DC/File)

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government has saved Rs 948 crore and the Telangana government about Rs 700 crore after weeding out bogus and duplicate ration cards, ahead of the National Food Security Act coming into force from April 1.

The drive to clean up the ration card system started soon after the bifurcation of the state, with Aadhaar as the basis. The TS government asked officials to identify the number of people who have cards both in Hyderabad and in their respective native places in the state. The AP government also started a similar exercise.

In Telangana, 67,22,084 persons and 69,55,312 in AP were weeded out, officials from both states said.



According to some officials, a lot more can be done if the governments are serious to ensure that only  genuine beneficiaries can get the subsidies.

Telangana gives 6 kg rice and AP 5 kg per person every month. The ceiling is four persons in AP, but there is no such cap in Telangana.

According to Telangana civil supplies commissioner Parthasarathy, the cards were weeded out by the first week of January, based on Aadhaar seeding.

“We have been issuing cards through the ePDS website two months back. We are trying to ensure that duplication does not take place,” he said.

AP commissioner of civil supplies Raja Sekhar said, “If you just take rice, the savings are around `948 crore of subsidy. Our calculations show nearly 20,909 metric tonnes is being saved every month,” he said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday expressed happiness over the large-scale weeding out of fake ration cards and said all future subsidy schemes would be linked up to Aadhaar and all subsidies will be given through fresh cards only.


7667 - Date extended for biometric system in fair price shops - TNN

Nikhil Deshmukh, TNN | Mar 26, 2015, 06.47AM IST

KOLHAPUR: The state government has extended the date to implement the biometric system in fair price shops to December this year. The extension is mainly due to delay in payment for data entry and uploading of ration card holders' details online. 

An amount of Rs 175 crore is yet to be disbursed to agencies and fair price shop owners who are involved in data collection of people covered under the Food Security Act. 

The state government's ambitious project involves digitisation of all the details of ration card and Aadhaar card holders and linking it with their bank accounts. The procedure is aimed at hassle-free transfer of funds only to the targeted beneficiaries and not to people who currently get undue benefit of government subsidies. 

Kolhapur district supply officer Vivek Agawane said, "The data entry work was supposed to be over by March-end. The process to link information with government servers and Aadhaar numbers was to be completed in the next three to four months. But now, the deadline for the entire project has been postponed to December." He said that the pending amount of Rs 175 crore would be disbursed a little later than planned. 

After the data is linked online, fair price shops will be provided with biometric reading devices, turning the entire food grain distribution system into a sophisticated mechanism with little scope for manipulation. 

In January this year, the Union government had directed all district supply officers in the state to complete data collection and online filing before March 15. It was understood that the agencies involved in data collection would be paid from time to time. But the payments were not made in time and the dues are now piling up. This also includes agencies that are recording Aadhaar card data. 

The Union government had also agreed to deposit Rs 100 into the accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna so that the no-frills accounts don't become a liability for the banks as the management cost would be higher. The payment of Rs 100 per person has been recommended by the 13th Finance Commission. All these procedures were to be completed by March-end. 

Agawane said, "There are 60 machines for Aadhaar registration and I have asked all the subdivisional officers and fair price shop owners to accelerate the drive so that we will be able to finish our task before time. The local level officers have started an awareness drive in the district so that the people who haven't enrolled yet will get a chance to do so. Even the enrolment receipt is sufficient to get linked with the bank account."

7666 - Jharkhand leads in UIDAI registration - TNN

Alok K N Mishra, TNN | Mar 25, 2015, 02.25PM IST

RANCHI: Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Ranchi regional office has issued Aadhaar cards to 55.32% people living in the three states of Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal, which come under its jurisdiction. Jharkhand leads the two states with 97.70% registration while West Bengal is second with 73.87% registration. Bihar fares worst among the three states with just 43.43% registration, a report from UIDAI regional office said on Tuesday. 

UIDAI regional office opened Aadhaar Suvidha Kendra in the state capital on Tuesday. 

Deputy director UIADI Jharkhand Nandana Munshi inaugurated the facility and said the centre has been opened to facilitate more registration and cater to the grievances of people who have already registered. 

The centre was opened inside Ranchi Industrial Area Development Authority building in Namkum. The centre will be open from Monday to Friday during office hours. It will offer Aadhaar registration, correction in registered Aadhaar cards, people can check the status of their non-released cards and can get their cards printed. 

An UIDAI official said people having errors in their Aadhaar cards do not need to apply for a fresh card, rather they just need to visit the office with all the credentials to get the correction done. Relevant documents are required like, passport for error in the date of birth mentioned on the card. 

People can also get their photos in the Aadhaar cards updated. 


West Bengal is second with 73.87% registrations while Bihar stands at just 43.43% registrations.

7665 - New Portable Iris Scanner Could Offer Aadhaar Integration - Find Biometrics

Posted on March 25, 2015


Biomatiques, an India-based biometrics company, has unveiled a new portable iris scanner, according to a Mid-Day article by Hassan M. Kamal. Called the eParakh Iris Scanner, the device is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems and is meant to offer plug-and-play functionality.

According to Biomatiques CEO Tamaal Roy, the device’s algorithm relies on 250 unique identification points in the iris, and, he claims, “it can’t be faked”. 

Interviewed for the article, Roy suggested that the eParakh can be used with UIDAI data, referring to the federal agency in charge of collecting and managing the biometric data of Indian citizens. Given that Biomatiques has made its API and SDK’s available on an open-source basis, that could prove hugely appealing to organizations in the country interested in developing products and applications for use in conjunction with India’s ambitious Aadhaar program.


The global iris recognition market is huge, and growing; and there are direct competitors such as EyeLock with its myris USB iris scanner, another easy-to-use, multi-platform device that also won acclaim as a 2015 CES Innovation Awards Honoree.

7664 - EC to rectify voters’ lists before Assam elections - TNN

TNN | Mar 25, 2015, 06.00AM IST

Guwahati: The Election Commission will take steps to 'correct' Assam's electoral rolls, which most parties say, contain names of illegal immigrants, before the state goes to the polls by May, 2016.

"Allegations of non-purified electoral rolls are heard very often. We are taking the initiative to correct them before the assembly election," chief election commissioner Hari Shankar Brahma told the media on Tuesday.

Brahma, who hails from Assam, was here to attend a workshop titled 'National Electoral Roll Purification and
Authentication Programme'. The programme was held for electoral officers from the northeast.
 brahm
Brahma said the EC on January 25 started the National Voters' Service Portal, a one-of-its-kind initiative through which a voter can find his/her name, address and polling station online and rectify incorrect details. Brahma said the objective of linking electoral photo identity card (EPIC) details with Aadhaar data, is to avoid duplications in electoral rolls. "By May 2015, all southern states will have Aadhaar cards. This will completely eliminate duplication of 85 crore voters," he said, adding, "Linking of Aadhaar and EPIC details will be completed across the country, except the northeast, by August."

Brahma said voters can change their residential details online. "All these services can be availed through the portal. For the first time, Indians can transfer their places of voting by logging onto the portal," he added.


Brahma said so far, 95% electors in Assam have been given voter ID cards and the process will be over by July this year.