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

Saturday, June 4, 2016

10087 - Gehlot asks state agencies to further simplify the lending procedures for rehabilitation of Scheduled Castes, Safai Karamcharis and Backward Classes - Business Standard

Gehlot asks state agencies to further simplify the lending procedures for rehabilitation of Scheduled Castes, Safai Karamcharis and Backward Classes

Delhi 
June 1, 2016 Last Updated at 00:21 IST


Gehlot asks state agencies to further simplify the lending procedures for rehabilitation of Scheduled Castes, Safai Karamcharis and Backward Classes 

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India organized a meeting of the State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs) of its Apex Corporations i.e. National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) and National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation here today to review the performance of SCAs and to discuss action plan for the current year. 

The meeting was chaired by Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment. During the meeting, Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar and Shri Vijay Sampla, Ministers of State, SJE, Smt. Anita Agnihotri, Secretary, SJ&E, Shri Arun Kumar, Addl. Secretary, SJ&E and senior officers of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, CMD/MDs of Apex Corporations and officers from the States representing the State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs) of Apex Corporations participated in the meeting. 

During the meeting, Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot launched two new schemes of NSFDC i.e. Reimbursement of Membership and Annual fee to SCAs for Membership of Credit Information Companies (CICs) for the SCAs" which will help them to create credit History of the SC beneficiaries and another scheme National Award for Performance Excellence (NAPE)" which will motivate the SCAs to perform better and will also create healthy competition. 

The Minister appreciated the efforts made by NBCFDC for associating with North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFI) which will help in extending financial assistance to the beneficiaries in the far off areas of the Northern Eastern States., Referring the Commercial Motor Driving Training Programme for women, initiated by NSKFDC, the Minister advised the SCAs to conduct similar programmes in major cities in their States. 

While reviewing the performance of the corporations, it was observed that National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) disbursed Rs. 270.27 crore to 70,885 beneficiaries in the year 2014-15 and disbursed Rs. 378.94 crore to 71,915 beneficiaries in the year 2015-16. Under the Skill development training programme, NSFDC provided training to 13,258 SC youth in 2014-15 and to 14,805 SC youth in 2015-16. 

The National Safai Karmachari Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) disbursed Rs. 134.05 crore to 19,434 beneficiaries in the year 2014-15 and disbursed Rs. 156.91 crore to 19334 beneficiaries in the year 2015-16. Under the Skill development training programme, NSKFDC provided training to 8,750 youth in 2014-15 and to 9,600 youth in 2015-16. NSKFDC have released onetime cash assistance of Rs. 40,000 each to 10,728 identified manual scavengers and also sanctioned 537 proposals of comprehensive rehabilitation and 2417 proposals of skill development training upto 31.05.2016. 

National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC) disbursed Rs. 286.80 crore to 1,66,693 beneficiaries in 2014-15 and Rs. 315.012 crore to 1,80,158 beneficiaries in 2015-16. Under Skill Development Training Programme, NBCFDC provided training to 15,146 youth in 2015-16 as against 11,410 youth in 2014-15. 

The Minister emphasized the need for simplifying the lending procedures so that the funds could be disbursed to the beneficiaries in the shortest possible time, He also asked SCAs to standardize their operations, adopt best practices, re-orient their strategies, adopt efficient mechanism for transfer of funds through online system so that we parking of funds could be avoided and ensure prompt delivery of services to the target group for their socio-economic development. 

The Minister said that Government of India is very keen to move towards a cashless society through the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan Account, Aadhaar Number & Mobile Number). Therefore, the SCAs should help the beneficiaries in getting enrolled for the Aadhaar Numbers at the nearest Aadhaar Enrolment Centers or e-Aadhaar enrolment. The SCAs should computerize their accounts and ensure direct transfer of loans in the Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of the beneficiaries and also maintain and upload the database on their websites linked with the Apex Corporations. 

Shri Gehlot emphasized the need for wide publicity of the schemes of the Ministry so that the target group could be made aware of the schemes and get motivated to avail the benefits of the schemes for their socio-economic upliftment. Further, the Minister emphasized that the SCAs should come forward with innovative Skill Development Training Programmes so that the objective of Skill India Mission could be achieved by providing training to maximum number of members of the target groups of Apex Corporations for enhancement of their capabilities for better job/self-employment so that they can also join hands in the development of nation. The Minister also stressed the need for all out efforts for immediate rehabilitation of the identified Manual Scavengers in job/self-employment, as it is national priority to eradicate manual scavenging and rehabilitation of identified manual scavengers. 
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