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

Monday, October 25, 2010

761 - AADHAAR IMPLEMENTATION: DC ASKS OFFICIALS TO BE COMMITTED

AADHAAR IMPLEMENTATION: DC ASKS OFFICIALS TO BE COMMITTED


Mysore, Oct. 24 (DM)- Deputy Commissioner Harsha Gupta has directed the officials entrusted with Unique Identity (UID) project Aadhaar to implement it on a priority basis, as both the Centre and State have selected Mysore district as one amongst the pilot districts in the State for the project's implementation.

In a circular issued here recently, he said the Aadhaar programme is being implemented in the district as per the Centre and the State's e-administration norms. In this connection, registrations were taken up in selected villages and in the city in April 2010. Subsequently, a workshop on the project implementation was held in city on Sept. 22, wherein all the officials concerned were briefed about the project and the mode of its implementation.

Aadhaar registration progra-mme was launched by the Chief Minister at the Dasara Exhibition Grounds on Oct. 8, following which, registrations commenced at different venues across the city. Also, Taluk-level committees have been set up for an effective and timely implementation of the project at the Taluk-level.

The Assistant Commissioner will be the Chairman and the Tahasildar will be the Member Secretary of the Committee. These officials are directed to hold meetings with other officials concerned and Hobli-wise nodal officers once in a fortnight and evolve a programme with the vendor agency for the successful implementation of Aadhaar by the end of December 2010.

Apart from this, the Panchayat Development Officers (PDO), GP Secretaries and Village Accountants, who are part of the prog-ramme implementation, were provided training on Oct. 6 and 7, in which they were instructed to involve themselves totally in the effective and error-free im-plementation Aadhar.

A public awareness campaign on the benefits of the progra-mme should be launched in the first place. Accordingly, the AC, the Tahasildar and EOs should come up with banners, posters and handbills to distribute them amongst all people's representatives and other forms of publicity campaign, so that they are made totally aware of the programme.

Any doubts regarding the programme should be cleared at the monthly staff meetings. Besides, a drum-beating campaign should be launched on the day of the project to be taken up in the respective villages. The Taluk Committee and officials can take any other form of campaign that would sensitise the people on the programme.

All these apart, the officials taking part in the campaign have been asked to give importance for getting precise information from the public on details such as their age, address, etc,.

The DC, in his circular, has instructed all the Asst. Commissioners and Tahasildars to strictly follow the instructions in this regard and submit a report thereby.

Tasks assigned to UID officials

Mysore, Oct. 24 (DM)- The responsibility of effectively implementing Aadhaar has been entrusted to some selected officials who will soon be launching public awareness campaigns in the district, said Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. C.G. Betsurmath.

Speaking at a meeting of the Aadhaar Implementing Committee officials held at the DC Office recently, Dr. Betsurmath said Aadhaar programme has to be completed by Dec. 2010.

Detailing out the roles and responsibilities of the district-level committee in the implementation of the programme, Dr. Betsurmath said the identification of Nodal Officers at the district and taluk-level, taking measures for village-wise collection of statistics, facilitating activities at village level, locating venues for setting up registration agencies and permanent centres, reporting to e-administration, selection of examiners, etc., were part of the responsibilities of officials.

An Aadhaar stall has been opened at Dasara Exhibition which will facilitate the citizens to register their names and personal information for UID number. Till now, around 3,000 people are said to have visited the stall, which will deliver the UID number to the doorsteps of the citizens within 30 days of registration. For details, contact toll-free number: 1800-180-1947.