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

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

318 - British PM David Cameron to meet Nandan Nilekani at Infosys


Isn’t this an irony ?. The first decision by British PM David Cameron on being elected, was to abolish the UK ID Card within 100 days. He is there in Bangalore to meet and exchange philosopies with Infosys Chairman and Chief Mentor Mr.Narayanamurthy and am sure Nandan Nilekanis Aadhaar will not interest him in the least. Let us hope David Cameron explains privacy & cost implications to UIDAI chairman being the reason for scrapping UK ID Cards
Ram




British PM David Cameron to meet Nandan Nilekani at Infosys


  ID cards scheme to be scrapped within 100 days

The £4.5bn national identity card scheme is to be scrapped within 100 days, the home secretary, Theresa May, announced today.
 British PM to visit Infosys, HAL in India's tech hub
IANS, Jul 26, 2010, 07.31pm IST

BANGALORE: British Prime Minister David Cameron will visit India's IT bellwether Infosys Technologies Ltd and defence behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) during his day-long visit to this tech hub on Wednesday.

He will call on Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj before visiting Infosys campus in the electronic city, about 30km away.

"Cameron will be in our campus for about two hours. A presentation will be made to him by our top management on the company's global software operations. He will also address the media around noon," a senior Infosys official told IANS Monday.

Infosys chairman and chief mentor NR Narayana Murthy, co-founder and former vice chairman Nandan Nilekani, who currently heads the state-run unique identification (UID) project, and other board members will interact with Cameron and his 90-member delegation, including cabinet ministers.

"We are honoured to host Cameron as we had a similar privilege to showcase our company to former British premier Tony Blair January 5, 2002 to unveil the eighth partnership summit of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in our campus," the official said, but declined to be named.

Cameron will join the illustrious list of several heads of state and government who came calling to the $4.7-billion Infosys campus, where its largest software development centre and corporate office are located.

Before emplaning to New Delhi, Cameron will visit the HAL complex for a firsthand account of its various activities and operations.

"He is scheduled to visit our complex at our airport after lunch for viewing our various products, including aircraft and helicopters and interacting with the top management," HAL chairman Ashok Nayak said.

Cameron's visit to HAL assumes significance as the British defence group BAE Systems is waiting to bag an order for delivering 57 additional advanced jet trainers (AJTs) Hawk to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy.

The IAF has already inducted 39 of the initial order for 66 aircraft in its training aircraft fleet, including 24 in fly-away condition and 15 manufactured by HAL at its Bangalore complex under licence production from BAE.

"Of the 42 jets to be produced by us, we have so far delivered 15 to the IAF, and remaining will be rolled out as per the schedule," Nayak said.

The IAF has located its Hawk fleet at its Bidar base in northern Karnataka, about 750km from here, to train its rookie pilots for flying supersonic fighters such as Sukhois, MiGs, Mirages and Jaguars.

The Indian defence acquisition council approved buying the 57 Hawks August 14, 2008, including 40 for the IAF and 17 in naval variant for the navy.

The value of the first order was about Rs.80 billion ($1.85 billion).
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