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

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

11496 - No cyber attack on Aadhaar biometric data: UIDAI - ECONOMIC TIMES


BY PTI | MAY 31, 2017, 04.59 PM IST


NEW DELHI: The core biometric data of Aadhar card holders has "till date" not faced any cyber attack, UIDAI has said in response to an RTI query. 

The Unique Identification Authority of India, however, refused to share the latest cyber security assessment of Aadhar data, citing national security. 

"The information cannot be shared under section 8(1)(a) of RTI Act as the data being National asset and sharing the systems in place can affect the security interest of the UIDAI and may lead to incitement of an offence and clause 7 of the Aadhar data security regulation," UIDAI said. 

Responding to an RTI queryseeking to know the number of cyber attacks directed at the core biometric data of Aadhar users, the agency said there have been "nil" reported cases. 

UIDAI presently maintains the data of about 114 crore Indians in over 6,000 servers located in Bengaluru and Manesar. 

The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) had claimed in a recent report that Aadhaar numbers and personal information of about 135 million Indians may have been leaked from government portals 

The report had said the absence of "proper controls" in populating the databases could have disastrous results as it may divulge sensitive information about individuals, including details about address, photographs and financial data. 

The portals where the purported leaks happened were those of National Social Assistance Programme, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, as well as two websites of the Andhra Pradesh government, it had said. 


11495 - AADHAAR ARTICLES DATED 31ST MAY 2017



Economic Times
Aadhaar has undoubtedly become a crucial document not only to establish your identity and avail the government's social security schemes but also ...



Economic Times
The notifications state that beneficiaries of their various schemes need to have Aadhaar as an identity document for delivery of services, benefits and ...






Times of India
MEERUT: Three months after the Union HRD ministry said Aadhaar cards are a must for midday meals and directed school authorities to make a list of ...






Times of India
MUMBALI: The bail plea of a Nepean Sea Road resident, who is alleged to have furnished a bogus Aadhaar card to a ticket-checker on a ...






The Indian Express
Two held for 'helping' Pakistanis get Aadhaar cards. The action against Dr Nagalakshmamma and T H Ravi Kumar came a day the two were arrested ...






Deccan Herald
The BJP coalition government in Andhra Pradesh will embark on a pilot project of issuing Aadhaar like unique numbers to cattle from Thursday.






NewsPatrolling (press release) (blog)
The Chinese have their own citizen identity card system and they combine it with Big Data to improve governance. Using an Aadhaar like identification ...






The Hindu
The Bengaluru Police, who are investigating how three Pakistan nationals obtained Aadhaar, now suspect that many more people could have ...






Economic Times
Following ET's report on Monday, the BBMP on Tuesday removed the Aadhaar numbers of pourakarmikas which were published on its website.






Dalal Street Investment Journal
If the bank account is linked to Aadhaar, Aadhaar payment bridge system ... route transactions to an individual on the basis of their Aadhaar number.



Business Standard
Some members have questioned the group's obsession with blindly promoting Aadhaar and India Stack, saying it was a diversion from iSPIRT's ...



Times of India
He mainly dealt in driving licences and Aadhaar cards. ... The Pakistanis confessed that they purchased Aadhaar cards by paying Rs 300 to a local ...






Times of India
... events involving its founding member Sharad Sharma admitting to being involved in anonymous trolling of those voicing concerns over Aadhaar.






Business Wire India (press release)
In addition to it the potential of Aadhaar diversified activities such as corrections/updates/e-Aadhaar, Aadhaar seeding and Aadhaar PVC Card version ...






India Today
Customers will have to do a one-time registration for availing the feature. This can be done by providing basic details like Aadhaar card or PAN.






NYOOOZ
The police recovered Aadhaar cards, which was obtained with documents attested by a senior government doctor. Shihab was arrested along with ...






Bangalore Mirror
... documents that enabled three Pakistani nationals to obtain Aadhaar cards, the health department on Tuesday suspended her for dereliction of duty.

11494 - Finance Bill 2017: Does Modi’s Government Hate Transparency? - Fair Observer

Ankita Mukhopadhyay is a journalist based in New Delhi, India. She has worked at various Indian publications for the past two years as an editor. She

India’s Finance Bill 2017 seems to create more problems than it sets out to solve.

Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the polls in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh (UP), earlier this year, it seems like the BJP will be unstoppable in the 2019 national polls. Out of 403 seats in UP, the BJP won 312, setting a new record after beating the one set by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Indian National Congress party is in a lull, with its reliance on the Gandhi scion Rahul fading into the recesses of India’s vibrant democracy with every failure.

Amidst this impressive victory stand, the people who have been most affected by Hindu right-wing rule — students, liberals, atheists — are those who oppose the worldview harbored by the BJP. While Modi’s charisma woos many, there are others affected by his party’s my-way-or-the-highway style of politics.

The BJP created a stir in March by passing the 2017 Finance Bill, touted by many as being purposefully exclusive. The Rajya Sabha — the Council of States, the upper house of India’s parliament — where the opposition has a stronghold, was bypassed by tabling the bill as a money bill. In this type of legislation, the Rajya Sabha can only recommend changes, which may or may not be accepted by the lower house, the Lok Sabha (Council of the People), while passing the bill.

The Rajya Sabha is an important institution in India as it is a representative of the states, not the people. Most members are indirectly elected through state and territorial legislatures, and the house has the power to stop the passage of or suggest amendments to bills that may have problematic clauses.

The Lok Sabha is wary of swaying to populism, as its representatives are directly chosen by the public. The way Arun Jaitley, the finance minister, made sure that the bill was passed with limited opposition brought a very important question out to the fore: Are the provisions of this bill so problematic that it mandated it to be passed through a legislative loophole?

FINANCE BILL 2017

The Finance Bill, if studied in its true form, brings up many questions and answers few. It has been labeled a “regressive” bill by the media in India. To understand the bill, one needs to understand its most problematic clauses.

First of all, it makes the Aadhaar card mandatory for a Permanent Account Number (PAN) card – a personal ID for tax payment in India. The Aadhaar, on the other hand, is a unique identification system introduced by the government, akin to a National Insurance Number in the UK or Social Security Number in the US. The Indian government proposes to link integral information such as fingerprints and retina scans of each individual to their Aadhaar number, creating a central database of all citizens. According to the new bill, all individuals who now apply for a PAN card have to link their Aadhaar card details to it. Not doing so makes it a criminal offense. The Finance Bill also mandates those currently holding a PAN card to link their Aadhaar details to it.

However, speculation about data breaches are rife, even after top government officials like Amitabh Kant — the chief executive officer of NITI Ayog, the National Institution for Transforming India — have come out in support of the Aadhaar, saying that it has “strong privacy provisions.” Aadhaar card details are reportedly being used by some companies, with users complaining that their details are appearing on company databases, prompting concerns about whether consumer data can now be collected at the click of a button.

When the government implemented its controversial demonetization policy in 2016, the aim was to get rid of black money. While it saw some initial success, demonetization also made life easier for tax evaders by introducing the 2,000-rupee note. Notes of a higher denomination make the illegal hoarding of larger amounts of money much easier.

The Finance Bill now proposes to remove the clause that mandates income-tax officers to provide a reason for raiding a person’s home or assets if suspected to be hoarding black money. The bill also allows the government to seize any property if it is in “the interest of revenue,” meaning the government can requisition a property for up to six months. The bill mandates no provision to explain if the property will be returned after that timeframe.

The issue of tax compliance is complex, for it can be seen that the higher the degree or need for compliance, the higher the probability of evasion. Also, the higher the income, the higher the chances of evasion. According to an industry executive, the Finance Bill now gives power to authorities to target those people with higher income, and not giving a reason for the this will allow a thorough investigation.

However, at the other end of the spectrum lies the argument that innocent people will be subjected to arbitrary checks and, in certain cases, arrest, which is a violation of a person’s privacy.

POLITICAL PARTY DONATIONS
For the first time in India, a bill has mandated a policy for political donations, albeit with its share of controversy. Political donations have always troubled parties in India. Now, thanks to the Finance Bill, any individual or company that wishes to donate to a party’s cause can do so via electoral bonds issued by a bank. While the bank will maintain a record of the bond, it is not bound to disclose the person’s identity. The cap on funding, which was previously set at 7.5% of a company’s net profit in a timeframe of three years, has also been removed.

This can have two consequences: Either it can systematize donations to political parties through a legal channel, or shield certain politicians and political parties who receive bloated donations from industrialists. Finance Minister Jaitley has argued that this clause was necessary to protect companies on the basis that, if it is revealed that a company has donated to a particular party, other parties will pressurize it to donate to them as well. Yet the reason why the cap on funding has been removed was not elaborated. A plausible explanation for why the reason was not disclosed can be the fact that the BJP government is trying to rationalize political donations through a known channel, or it is trying to shield itself and others from scrutiny over the money it receives from big industrialists.
Indian media have picked up this particular point of political donations as extremely problematic, but donations to political parties are controversial in almost every country. Former South Korean President Park Guen-hye was impeached after it was revealed that she and her close friend, Choi Soon-sil, took donations from conglomerates such as Samsung and Lotte in exchange for political favors. In India, Modi was accused by Rahul Gandhi of seeking support for his electoral campaign.

MERGERS
Post-independence, tribunals were introduced in India to expedite the resolution of administrative and tax-related disputes. However, their purpose was not served as courts became bogged down by bureaucracy. The Finance Bill has proposed the merger of certain tribunals, such as airports and highways authorities.
According to a senior lawyer, the move to merge certain tribunals could be to streamline their activities. But the rationale behind the merger seems very unclear. For example, the logic to merge the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India with the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal makes little sense.
The National Highways Tribunal is also proposed to be replaced by the Airport Appellate Tribunal — another merger that makes no sense. The appointment and removal of tribunal members under the government’s control is also a problem: This can mean an assault on their independence. Tribunals are important as they are autonomous bodies that expedite the redressal process.
The government has not revealed the logic behind these proposed mergers, and if they come through, these could create more problems than they solve. It is possible that certain disputes will go unnoticed or overlooked. For example, an issue related to environmental concerns over the construction of an airport may go unaddressed or delayed.

A NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY
The merger should have been straightforward enough to escape criticism. But, like many measures, the BJP government’s move is under scrutiny for not explaining measures clearly.
Every democratically-elected government is required to provide a basic service to it citizens — a transparency in the workings of government structures. Modi’s government may have passed the Finance Bill by bypassing the Rajya Sabha, but its clauses will have an impact on people’s everyday life. Citizens are now liable to become tax evaders if they do not register for an Aadhaar card, and their property is subject to legal requisition if the government feels so.

The BJP government has steamrolled its opponents and has had its way ever since it took power in 2014. But its reputation as a transparent party has been tarnished owing to moves that have discarded the opposition’s input. The weakness of the Indian National Congress party may benefit the BJP in the short term, but, in the long run, only a party that believes in transparency, clarity and freedom of speech can survive in a democratic system.

Whether the Finance Bill will create more problems than it seeks to solve is a question that only time will answer. As it currently reads, the bill fails to do so.
*[This article was updated on May 30, 2017.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

11493 - Ispirt Shuts Down Controversial Aadhaar Critics Trolling Programme Sudham

Key iSPIRT Members Parting Ways?


Indian software products think tank iSPIRT has disclosed that ‘Sudham’ – the alleged programme sanctioned by the organisation to troll anti-Aadhaar activists has been dissolved.

iSPIRT founder Sharad Sharma disclosed the development in an official statement.

Also, in the aftermath of this controversy, key iSPIRT members are said to be distancing themselves from the organisation.

Ispirt Shutting Down Sudham
The decision to shut down Sudham was revealed in an official statement by Sharad Sharma titled: “The End Doesn’t Justify The Means: A Public Statement.” In the post, Sharad stated that iSPIRT had created an iSPIRT Guidelines and Compliance Committee (IGCC) to investigate the controversy. As a result, Sudham has been dissolved and Sharad will not be responsible for iSPIRT’s external communications for the next four months, as a consequence of the “transgression.

He stated, “And, on that count, I as one of the builders have stumbled. I condoned uncivil behaviour by some anonymous handles over a period of ten days. I have owned up to this transgression. It was investigated internally by the iSPIRT Governing Council: Sudham as a team stands dissolved and I will no longer be communicating on behalf of iSPIRT externally for 4 months.”

Talking about the events that took place Sharad added, “Having danced with such tactics myself for ten days in May, I can say with certainty that it is conduct unbecoming of our prior actions and accomplishments. Put simply, I have learnt my lesson. One that should have been painfully clear to begin with. Such behaviour — uncivil comments made while hiding behind anonymity — is loathsome and abhorrent. And I will never engage in or condone such methods ever again.”

Sharad’s statement comes a week after he publicly apologised for iSPIRT anonymously trolling those voicing concerns over privacy and security standards in Aadhaar. The trolling programme was brought to light by Kiran Jonnalagadda, Aadhaar’s most vocal critic and co-founder of Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), an advocacy group. Kiran revealed in a series of tweets that @Confident_India, one of the anonymous accounts arguing in favour of Aadhaar and attacking its critics on Twitter, was being operated by none other than Sharad Sharma. He also revealed in detail about the programme in a series of Medium posts that Sharma and other iSPIRT members were behind the anonymous trolls.

In response to Kiran’s post and criticism from all quarters, iSPIRT’s Governing Council put together a Guidelines and Compliance Committee, which conducted an investigation that concluded on 28 May, 2017. Sharad’s post is a reflection on the same, though the IGCC itself has not issued a public statement.

Kiran pointed this out in yet another Medium post where he states that, “Following my posts and much media coverage, iSPIRT’s Governing Council put together a Guidelines and Compliance Committee (IGCC), which conducted an investigation that concluded on 28 May, 2017. We do not have a public statement from IGCC, but instead—curiously enough—have a public statement from Sharad Sharma himself, summarising the decisions of the committee that investigated him.”
In the post, Kiran stated, “As a primary victim of Sharad’s trolling, and as someone who deposed before the IGCC, I have yet to hear back from them officially.”

He further added that, “I’m pained to point out that Sharad continues to not admit to being the person behind at least two troll accounts, instead merely admitting to ‘condoning’ the behaviour of unnamed persons.”

Kiran clearly expressed his disappointment with the statement when he said that, “I’m aware that Sharad wasn’t operating alone. Others were involved and, so far, no one has come forward to be identified as the operator of a troll account, not even Sharad himself.”

Key Ispirt Members Parting Ways?
Meanwhile, the trolling programme, which has cast a negative light on iSPIRT, that started as an organisation to promote software products, seems to have taken a toll on the organisation itself. As per a TOI report, a few higher ups, including InMobi co-founder Naveen Tewari and FusionCharts founder Pallav Nadhani are distancing themselves from the organisation, as of now.

In an emailed response to Inc42, Pallav stated, “I will be working with iSPIRT from the sidelines, not as a part of it, at least for some time. The cause is larger than any of us and important for the country. As of now, I have expressed my intent to move on, but I do hope that iSPIRT will emerge way stronger and continue contributing to Indian ecosystem. There are over 200 passionate volunteers behind the cause. “
For an organisation that holds an important place in the Indian startup ecosystem as far as promoting software is concerned, in the aftermath of this controversy, it seems like the right time for it to refocus on its primary objective and owning up to its gaffes.

Because, as Sharad aptly writes, “There will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right. It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – Albus Dumbledore.”

The Aadhaar critics trolling programme may not have been the finest hour of the forward-thinking organisation, but it has become an important part of the larger social conversation. Here is hoping that iSPIRT chooses the right kinds of path, going forward.


Note: We at Inc42 take our ethics very seriously. More information about it can be found here.

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

11492 - The Aadhaar legal framework is broken - LIVE MINT

Last Modified: Tue, May 30 2017. 01 45 AM IST


The regulations are weak on grievance redressal and completely absent in the case of authentication and data security

VRINDA BHANDARI / RENUKA SANE


There is not enough clarity on important aspects pertaining to the Aadhaar scheme. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint

Aadhaar has in recent times become an important tool in the government armoury. From welfare receipts to filing tax returns, an Aadhaar number is now an all-pervasive prerequisite. As Aadhaar becomes the core around which our relationship with the state revolves, we need to ask ourselves if the surrounding legal framework provides enough clarity on the enrolment, authentication, and storage processes. Are there adequate protections against misuse? Do citizens have access to an adequate grievance redressal mechanism? We think the answers to these questions are a resounding no.

Before explaining further, it is important to understand the authority that runs and regulates Aadhaar. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is the agency responsible for Aadhaar enrolment and authentication, ensuring the security of individuals’ identity information, and managing the grievance redressal mechanism. Two legal instruments shape UIDAI’s behaviour: the Aadhaar Act, 2016, and the Aadhaar Regulations, 2016, on enrolment, authentication, data security, and sharing of information. We need these to be precise, and to provide for adequate checks and balances to hold UIDAI accountable.

Herein lies the problem. There is not enough clarity on important aspects pertaining to the Aadhaar scheme. The Aadhaar Act left several aspects, such as the information required for enrolment and verification, the procedure of sharing identity information, and the security protocols, to be specified “by regulations”. So we have a law that has decided to not specify these core issues, in the expectation that they would be fleshed out in future regulations.

However, even the regulations issued by UIDAI left key aspects to be specified by it at a future undetermined date. For instance, the “standards” for collecting biometric and demographic information, and the procedure for updating biometric information of children are to be “specified by the Authority”. Similarly, UIDAI shall generate the Aadhaar number after de-duplication and “other checks as specified by the Authority”. Throughout the regulations, the phrase “specified by Authority” has been used 51 times. So, today, seven years after the first Aadhaar number was issued, we still do not have clarity on several issues that are key to Aadhaar’s functioning.
It may sometimes be justified, as in the case of technical information, for UIDAI to leave things unspecified. But when issues that determine how sensitive, personal information is collected, authenticated, stored, used, and shared with third parties are left unspecified, it becomes cause for concern. Moreover, we do not even know if, and when, UIDAI will specify these issues, as there seems to be no obligation on it to do so.

The regulations are also weak on grievance redressal, and are completely absent in the case of the Aadhaar Regulations on authentication and data security. There is little information about the actual process of redress, how it will work, the composition of the “contact centres”, the performance standards and timelines on which their work will be evaluated, the binding nature of the resolution mechanism, the identity of the final decision-maker, and the possibility of appealing/challenging UIDAI’s decision.

Even when it comes to the omission or deactivation of an Aadhaar number, the regulations provide little panacea. First, there is no requirement for UIDAI to hear the person whose Aadhaar number is sought to be omitted or deactivated, and thus no requirement to follow principles of natural justice. Second, UIDAI’s decision (based on a report submitted by its nominated “agency” after following procedures “to be specified” in the future) is final, and no appellate remedy has been provided for. Finally, the Aadhaar number holder will simply be informed about this decision by text and his/her only remedy will be to use the completely inadequate grievance redressal mechanism (“contact centres”). When you consider the consequences of deactivation, such that a person may get excluded from benefit receipts, or may not be able to file tax returns, the lack of substance in the grievance redressal process becomes hugely problematic.
The Aadhaar Act and regulations also say little on enforcement. The Act has a specific chapter on offences and penalties, where it criminalizes certain actions such as unauthorized access or disclosure of identity information. However, unlike most other statutes, only UIDAI can file a criminal complaint for violations of the Act, and not the person aggrieved. Thus, if UIDAI thinks that a complaint is not worth pursuing, then the Aadhaar number holder has no remedy and no means of holding UIDAI to account. Further, the Aadhaar Act does not talk about damages to the affected person. There are also no clear procedures for imposing liabilities on enrolment or authentication service agencies, thus reducing the incentives of these service providers to comply with the legal framework.
Aadhaar is the centrepiece of the government’s agenda. However, the enrolment and authentication processes are still operating in a sort of legal vacuum. In the absence of a privacy law in India, the need for an effective accountability and enforcement mechanism in the Act becomes even more important. There is thus an urgent need to introduce amendments to the Aadhaar Act and regulations to address these problems.
Vrinda Bhandari and Renuka Sane are, respectively, a practising advocate in Delhi and an associate professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi.

11491 - AADHAAR ARTICLES DATED 30TH MAY 2017



Livemint
Aadhaar has in recent times become an important tool in the government armoury. From welfare receipts to filing tax returns, an Aadhaar number is ...






Moneycontrol.com
Telecom operators such as Airtel and Idea have started sending SMSes to existing subscribers asking them to link their Aadhaar and mobile numbers.






Times of India
MUMBAI: To boost Aadhaar enrolment of children below the age of five years, the state government will give tabs to 500 hospitals by next month.



India Today
Companies have also started putting messages in their stores to inform users. One such message in an Airtel store reads, "Link your Aadhaar card to ...






Deccan Chronicle
During the interrogation, Shihab revealed that he got the documents verified from Dr Nagalakshmamma and produced them at a new Aadhaar centre ...



Inc42 Media (blog)
Indian software products think tank iSPIRT has disclosed that 'Sudham' – the alleged programme sanctioned by the organisation to troll anti-Aadhaar ...



Financial Express
ICSE, ISC exam results: Good news – Students to get Aadhaar-linked ... is linked to their Unique Identification Authority of India (Aadhaar number).



The Hindu
As the debate over privacy and Aadhaar rages across the country, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) courted controversy of its own on ...






Moneycontrol.com
With increase in Aadhaar enrollment and technology advancements, banks and stakeholders must start thinking and prepare for bank account number ...



Fair Observer
First of all, it makes the Aadhaar card mandatory for a Permanent Account Number (PAN) card – a personal ID for tax payment in India. The Aadhaar ...






BW Businessworld
The smartest decision by this government has to be accepting Aadhaar as the platform for a new India, even if it was initiated by the previous ...






Ahmedabad Mirror
The Income-Tax department has made it mandatory for people to link their Aadhaar card with their Permanent Account Number in order to file I-T ...






SportNewsCity
On GST and Aadhaar issue, he said, "They ( BJP ) used to oppose Aadhaar and GST (before coming to power)". China and Pakistan relation is ...

Monday, May 29, 2017

11490 - Aadhaar Articles Dated 29th May 2017



YourStory.com
There is a lot of cacophony over the Aadhaar initiative. A section of the population vehemently opposes the initiative while others vociferously throw ...






Economic Times
BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has published the Aadhaar details and other personal information of thousands of ...






The Indian Express
Aadhaar, aid rollback: TISS students protest. In the absence of an elected Students' Union, students have taken it upon themselves to raise the issues ...






NYOOOZ
Police have launched a manhunt for the person or persons who helped the trio get Aadhaar cards.Sources said the cards were issued to the three ...






Economic Times
First-time customers will have to provide some basic details like email ID, mobile phone number and also link it to PAN or Aadhaar card to checkout.






Trak.in (blog)
Just like any law-abiding citizen, he went to the nearest Airtel retailer and provided his Aadhaar for eKYC. Along with his own number, he also ...






Bangalore Mirror
Illegally crossing the border and entering India through Kathmandu was just a breezy 10-hour cab ride for the three Pakistani nationals and the ...






Hindu Business Line
You must hand it to NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant for pushing the BHIM-Aadhaar App at every opportunity he gets at public events. At a recent ...






NDTV
India Leads Globally In Adoption Of Biometric Technology: Report. The government first launched the Aadhaar Project, a biometrics programme, ...






Times of India
The UGC meanwhile has also reminded about not publishing Aadhaar number of PhD scholars publicly, stating that the Aadhaar Act 2016 prohibits ...






SportNewsCity
On GST and Aadhaar issue, he said, "They (BJP) used to oppose Aadhaar and GST (before coming to power)". He said "We have not decided on any ...






Kashmir Images
On GST and Aadhaar issue, he said, “They (BJP) used to oppose Aadhaar and GST (before coming to power). Now, they fully support them. This is ...

11489 - Aadhaar Articles Dated 28th May 2017



Economic Times
NEW DELHI: Civil services aspirants will have to bring a copy of Aadhaar card or other identify proof to appear in the UPSC's preliminary examination ...






Times of India
"Muhammad Shihab said they approched a middleman to get an Aadhaar card, so that getting other cards like voter ID card and ration card would be ...



The New Indian Express
BHUBANESWAR: The Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department has made it mandatory for residents to submit their Aadhaar card details at ...



Business Standard
Information Technology and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tells Kiran Rathee the system has enough safeguards to protect the privacy of Indian ...






The Arunachal Times
This was announced by Lohit Deputy Commissioner Danish Ashraf in a meeting held on May 26 to review progress of Aadhaar enrolment in the ...






The New Indian Express
... on Saturday gave a call for protest against the increased surveillance and security measures, including the compulsion of Aadhaar at the campus, ...






Financial Express
Centre's big Aadhaar push, makes India world No. 1 in adoption of biometric tech: HSBC report. With advancements in the field of biometric ...






Daily Pioneer
In order to ensure that all the beneficiaries of several pension schemes for the elderly, physically handicapped, widow and others complete their ...






The Indian Express
As one of the architects of Aadhaar, Nilekani had argued that the country of the 21st century will have to be one that seriously invests in the digital ...






BloombergQuint
The Aadhaar law has a privacy framework and the government is open to suggestions to further strengthen it but the benefits of the biometric ID can't ...






Deccan Chronicle
The gang was organising brothels online. The police seized Rs 5,960, a bike, a Bangladesh passport, fake Aadhaar and election cards and seven ...






Economic Times
On GST and Aadhaar issue, he said, "They (BJP) used to oppose Aadhaar and GST (before coming to power). Now, they fully support them. This is ...






Outlook India
Likewise in the Aadhaar Act, which was introduced as a money Bill touted to be having the objective of plugging subsidy leaks, provisions permitting ...






Times of India
He further said that the BJP had strongly criticised Aadhaar, the National Rural Employment Guarantee and Assurance Scheme, goods and services ...






Daily Pioneer
So far, 8.73 crore Aadhaar number of workers have been seeded in NREGASoft (MIS) and 4.73 crore have been enabled for Aadhaar Based Payment ...



Firstpost (satire)
They even called him anti-national and asked him to show his Aadhaar card. Luckily, Ishant was carrying Aadhaar card as he had planned to buy ...






NYOOOZ
"The fair-price shop owners have been asked to maintain a proper record of the distribution and demand photocopy of the beneficiaries' Aadhaar Card ...






Telangana Today
The Aadhaar-linked DBT scheme, he said, has helped in plugging leakages, removing middlemen and eliminating ghost beneficiaries.






NYOOOZ
"We will divide these hostels on the basis of undergraduate and postgraduate courses and Aadhaar will be made mandatory for all the inmates along ...