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, August 21, 2010

444 - RD MINISTRY TO ROLL OUT NATIONWIDE BIOMETRIC DATABASE OF MAHATMA GANDHI NREGA WORKERS IN COLLABORATION WITH UIADAI

RD MINISTRY TO ROLL OUT NATIONWIDE BIOMETRIC DATABASE OF MAHATMA GANDHI NREGA WORKERS IN COLLABORATION WITH UIADAI
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 16:46 IST

 In yet another step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA using the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) tools, the Ministry Of Rural Development would roll out the Nationwide Biometric database of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA workers in collaboration with UIADAI (The Unique Identification Authority of India). A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect was signed with UIADAI at a National Workshop in Vigyan Bhawan here today on the Mahatma National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, titled “ Mahatma Gandhi NREGA making ICT an instrument for People’s entitlement: A step towards Governance Reform and Transparency ” on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi . With this partnership MoRD and UIDAI would cooperate and collaborate in the process that would lead to better efficiency, transparency and accountability in the implementation of the right to wage employment guaranteed under the Act.

The Highlights of the inaugural session was a demonstration of Biometric based ICT enabled Mahatma Gandhi NREGA processes by MGNREGA beneficiaries from Bhilwara, Rajasthan. It was followed by the release of the National Framework for biometric based ICT enabled end to end solution. Biometric based ICT pilots have led to the foundation of a strategy for the nationwide rollout of this initiative. This will promote transparency and accountability. Real time data on MGNREGA processes will reduce delays in measurement and wage payments. In addition to this, the data so created could also be used by UIDAI for generating the UID number and by Banks and Post Offices for the purpose of servicing MGNREGA accounts through the Business Correspondent model.

In his address the Union minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Dr. C.P.Joshi said the need of the hour is to address the issues in MGNREGA such as delays in payment of wages, doing away with bogus muster rolls and ensuring the rights and entitlement of beneficiaries with the help of Unique ID and Biometric system the tools of Information and Communication technology. It will also help connect the 2.50 lakh Panchayats spread across the country and re-mould their functioning in a swift and transparent manner. Moreover, the ICT enabled end to end solution will focus on issues of governance reform, transparency and accountability in the context of MGNREGA, Dr. Joshi added . He emphasized the need to strengthen the infrastructure at Panchayats and said construction of Panchayat Ghars and Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendras should be given a push.

Union Minister of Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh while complementing Dr. Joshi for the initiative taken towards better implementation of MGNREGA through ICT said this step is a befitting tribute to the memory of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He said the time has come now to consolidate the gains under MGNREGA.

Chairman, Unique Identification Authority Of India (UIADI) Shri Nandan Nilekani emphasized the importance and benefits of UID and said that the “Adhar” model would help at in identification, attendance registration and payment of wages to MGNREGA beneficiaries. He called for a larger relation with the Ministry Of Rural Development by linking UID with other schemes for the benefit of the rural poor.

Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia underlined the need to look for the convergence with other schemes from different ministries in the run up to the preparations of the 12th five year plan.

Prime Minister’s Advisor on Infrastructure , Shri Sam Pitroda joined the proceedings live from Chicago, USA by video conferencing. In his address he said that MGNREGA has defined a regime of rights and entitlements for marginalized sections of the society and the time has come now for democratization of information. This, he added is possible with the help of ICT which has the potential to increase transparency, accountability and efficiency .

The Workshop was attended by the Union Ministers of State for Rural Development Shri Pradeep Jain Aditya , Shri Sisir Adhikari, Ms. Agatha Sangma alongwith the Secretary Rural Development Shri B.K.Sinha, representatives from centre and states,Planning Commission,Unique Identification Authority of India, State Institute Of Rural Developments, Panchayati Raj Institution members from district, block and gram panchayats ,representatives from good performing districts, MGNREGA beneficiaries, MPs and other key stakeholders.

The emphasis in MGNREGA is now on ensuring public accountability, strengthening transparency and encouraging activities that tap the productive potential of works undertaken so that it becomes a platform for sustainable development. This would help in enforcing transparency at the grass root level. With the help of ICT devices especially Biometrics attendance would be ensured on site to improve the overall delivery system in the implementation of MGNREGA by capturing all the processes right from registration, demand of work, issue of dated receipt, allocation of work, attendance at worksite with GPS coordinates ,measurement of work and wage payments.

Mahatma Gandhi NREGA has generated 777 crore person days since its launch in 2006, in which women have half the share and SC/ST more than half. Minimum wages have risen across the country because of MGNREGA intervention. Out of the total expenditure of Rs.95496 crore, 68% has been spent on wages .9.19 crore bank/post office accounts of workers have been opened ,encouraging savings among the poor.45 lakh works have been completed ,with more than 50% work on water conservation, making MGNREGA an ecological act. It is expected that the deliberations at the workshop would go a long way towards innovations by bringing in more transparency under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).
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