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

Thursday, May 11, 2017

11304 - Aadhaar Articles Dated 10th May 2017


Times of India (blog)
Once again Aadhaar, India's biometric identification system that is the largest such project in the world, is in the eye of a storm after being made ...



Firstpost
In December, the satire website Faking News had carried a spoof about Aadhaar becoming compulsory for buying vegetables in Delhi. Everybody had ...






Hindustan Times
The controversy over Aadhaar is yet to come to an end but the Haryana government has come up with another mega data-gathering initiative.






Times of India
LUCKNOW: All students of government schools in Uttar Pradesh from class I-VIII will get an Aadhaar card. The government's decision is aimed at ...



Firstpost
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched BHIM-Aadhaar platform for merchants giving a further push for the shift towards less-cash economy ...






Hindu Business Line
According to the recent amendments made in the income-tax laws, the Aadhaar and PAN cards must be linked, else the PAN will be cancelled.






Mathrubhumi English
Kallara: Cheruvalam-native Sugathan and his son applied for Aadhaar cards four months back at an Akshaya Centre in Venjaramoodu. Though they ...






Moneylife
The Bench also indicated that as the matter was already pending for constitution of a Bench to determine the validity of the Aadhaar scheme and ...






BloombergQuint
The central government is closely tracking the seeding of bank accounts with Aadhaar data as lenders push customers to furnish their unique ...






The New Indian Express
CHENNAI: Abirami Oli — human by fate, counsellor by training, actor by passion, unemployed by choice. The theatre actor, dancer and model was ...






BGR India
IndusOS and Delta ID in partnership with domestic manufacturers are said to bring mid-ranger smartphones running the Aadhaar-based OS until next ...






Trak.in (blog)
In the last couple of months, bank account holders have been receiving urgent SMSes and calls from banks, asking to link their Aadhaar cards with the ...






Monotone Critic
The government has made the biometric authentication using Aadhaar mandatory after facing several scenarios of fake identity theft—including ...






Economic Times
NEW DELHI: IRCTC has offered delivery of rail tickets allowing passengers to make payment through any payment mode, including cash.






Financial Express
Residents were invited to record a small video of their child's appeal to the masses, talking about benefits of Aadhaar and urging everyone to get ...






Deccan Herald
Her name figures along with the same address, ESI-PF details and Aadhaar number at four places. However, she has got four different pourakarmika ...






Business Standard
In February this year, the EPFO had introduced composite claim forms (Aadhaar and non-Aadhaar) by replacing the erstwhile forms 19 (for final ...






Rising Kashmir
The Aadhaar project presents a similar situation. The project is mired in controversy ever since it was rolled out by the Manmohan Singh government.






Bangalore Mirror
All accused have Aadhaar Cards in the name of Raheena Kattimani. ... Raheena Kattimani, the lady who helped these in having the Aadhaar Cards, ...






Firstpost
"In FY 2017-18, the bank's ambition is to reach 5.2 lakh Acceptance Touch Points which include 4 lakh Digital PoS (Bharat QR and Aadhaar Pay) and ...






Livemint
However, in case you file it after 1 July, remember that you will have to quote your Aadhaar number or the enrolment ID of Aadhaar application form.






Financial Express
Indeed, to promote Bhim-Aadhaar, the government has not only waived all charges, it is paying a 50bps commission—25bps to the merchant and ...