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, February 3, 2011

1090 - Prime Minister and Sonia promise more reforms in MGNREGA

K. BALCHAND, The Hindu
NEW DELHI, February 2, 2011

‘MGNREGA will be used to bring in administrative reforms, using gram panchayats as a nodal agency'
 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday promised to usher in more reforms in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and increase the number of days of job guaranteed to the Below Poverty Level households.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh looks on as NAC Chairperson Sonia Gandhi
presents an award to a representative of a gram panchayat during the
MNREGA Sammelan 2011 at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Speaking at a function celebrating the completion of the fifth year of MGNREGA, Dr. Singh promised to reform the delivery mechanism to reach the programme to the need, use of technology to stop corrupt practices, and bring it under the purview of Right to Information Act.

To change the mindset

Introduction of technology was necessary to change the mindset of the people in rural areas, Prime Minister stressed, and declared that a biometric database would be created for MGNREGA workers to register their presence and make payments. He hoped that this would address the problem of delayed payments. A demonstration of the hand set instrument was made at the function.

MGNREGA will also be used to bring in administrative reforms, the Prime Minister said, using the gram panchayats as a nodal agency. The people will be involved in developing micro plans, monitoring and auditing the works. The Prime Minister also emphasised that the capacity of the panchayats will be enhanced to shoulder more responsibilities.

‘ Stern action needed'

Taking note of the incidents of threats received by those undertaking social auditing jobs, the Prime Minister said that stern action needs to be taken, and added that comprehensive measures were being taken to strengthen this system.

The Prime Minister said that the effort was to provide productive employment to the rural youth to remove poverty.

Ms. Gandhi promised that NREGA will be used to put down problems of drought and floods and protect the environment. She however expressed concern over reports of NREGA money being diverted and misappropriated through fake job cards, muster rolls and works shown as executed only on paper, and delay in payment to the workers.

She also expressed her resentment that the grievance redressal mechanism was not shouldering their responsibilities and that the absence of proper amenities continued to discourage women's participation in the programme.

Ms. Gandhi also underlined the need for the Union government to help the States, besides suggesting strengthening the social audit system by empowering women and self help groups.

Union Minister for Rural Development Vilasrao Deshmukh said consultations had been held with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and discussions were underway with the States to evolve a better system of social auditing.

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