Moneylife Digital Team UIDAI banned its two vendors who were found selling Aadhaar data to private firms and also collecting money from people for enrolling into the scheme. However, both vendors are still very much active The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which has been permitted by the Union government (without any constitutional authority) to tag all residents in the country, is finding it difficult to rein in its vendors who for a few more rupees are selling data collected for UID or Aadhaar number scheme to private firms. According to media reports, in October, the UIDAI banned Madras Security Printers Pvt Ltd and Alankit Assignments for sub-contracting work to other vendors. The Andhra Pradesh state government also received several complaints against both the vendors for misuse and sale of data to private firms. Some sub-contractors of Madras Security and Alankit are also accused of collecting Rs200 to enrol and issue acknowledgement receipt from people in Ranga Reddy, Chittoor and East Godavari districts of the state. Despite a confirmation of these allegations against these vendors in a report prepared by the AP government, there is no action and both Madras Security and Alankit continued to enrol people for Aadhaar numbering scheme. Alankit Financial Services sub-contracted enrolling at Bangalore to another private company, ID Global Technology Solutions. The latter is alleged to have indulged in franchising enrolling business to many other private companies. ID Global Technology Solutions is alleged to have been taking deposits of Rs2.5 Lakh from the franchisees. Surprisingly the UIDAI chairman had stated that he was not aware of this illegal activity. According to some experts, the issue may have to do with late payments by the UIDAI. “Data was sold several months ago. Other agencies are doing the same. Cashflow problems—UIDAI is a poor pay master,” said one of the experts. Another expert feels that in trying to outsmart ‘smart cookies’ like Madras Security and Alankit, the UIDAI shot itself in the foot. He said that in order to make Aadhaar ubiquitous, several agencies, including the UIDAI itself, have been spreading rumours that without the UID number everyone would be denied services like cooking gas. This created a rush and in order to try and jump the queue, many people have registered with different registrars. It resulted in the registration payments being paid up to somebody other than the one whose data was recorded. “Of course, having said that, I suppose one recognises that ‘faith’ itself is in question, with UIDAI,” the expert added. Earlier in September, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had expressed reservation on Aadhaar as it felt that the scheme could lead to discrimination. “Since the Aadhaar number is to be used and applied ‘for delivery of various benefits and services’, a citizen who does not have one may be denied access to these, while a resident, who may not be a citizen, would have access if he had obtained an Aadhaar number,” the NHRC said. The NHRC’s remarks were in response to its views sought by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance headed by Yashwant Sinha on National Identification Authority of India (NIA) Bill introduced in December 2010. The Bill seeks to constitute a statutory authority and lay down its powers and functions, besides deciding the framework to issue the UID or Aadhaar numbers. Yet, the government and the UIDAI have gone ahead implementing the scheme and issuing Aadhaar numbers without any constitutional validity as yet. According to an expert, the government is the executive not empowered by the Constitution to implement projects spending public money without legislative sanction. “In the case of the UIDAI, while the executive may appoint anyone to head it, the government is legally constrained from implementing the project and issuing Aadhaar numbers,” the expert said. While some activists, like advocate Kamayani Bali Mahabal had started petitioning the prime minister, others like VK Somasekhar, founder-trustee of Grahak Shakti and Col (Retd.) Thomas Mathew of Citizens' Action Forum have sent legal notices to UIDAI and the Planning Commission questioning their “illegal” activities in implementing the UID project, or Aadhaar, without any legal authority to do so. The NHRC has also expressed similar concerns raised by a section of activists that the stored bio-metric information could be tampered with. “The possibility of tampering with stored biometric information cannot be ruled out, though the Bill sets out the precautions envisaged,” it said. |
Why this Blog ? News articles in the Wide World of Web, quite often disappear with time, when they are relocated as archives with a different url. Archives in this blog serve as a library for those who are interested in doing Research on Aadhaar Related Topics. Articles are published with details of original publication date and the url.
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