AADHAAR RELATED ARTICLES: 3179 - Poor Aadhaar penetration can imperil DCT rollout

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, March 26, 2013

3179 - Poor Aadhaar penetration can imperil DCT rollout

Poor Aadhaar penetration can imperil DCT rollout

Last Updated: Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 17:48

Rashi Aditi Ghosh/Zee Research Group/

Using Aadhaar as the sole criterion for eligibility might delay the rollout of the ambitious Direct Cash Transfer (DCT) scheme to the poor in the country. This is in view of the rather poor integration yet of Aadhaar with pro poor government schemes.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government`s dream scheme DCT rolled out from January 1, 2013 in 43 districts for 26 selected central sector and centrally sponsored schemes in a phase wise manner based on the twin pillars of Aadhaar generation and financial inclusion.

The DCT project covers schemes like Janani Suraksha Yojana, Dhanalakshmi Scheme, Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY), Maulana Azad National Fellowship and Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students.

According to finance ministry, the integration of Aadhaar into government programmes has involved only two percent of the participants during 2012-13 and its 100 per cent achievement is projected by 2018-2019. Finance ministry data, however, shows that 22.98 crore Aadhaar cards have been generated in 2012-2013 i.e. merely 18.5 percent of the total population of India.

Citing the complexity involved with the enrollment process of Aadhaar cards, Suranjan Sengupta, member of the expert group to review the methodology for estimation of poor at Planning Commission (Tendulkar committee) said, “100 per cent coverage of Aadhaar cards and its integration with other government programmes is questionable for India.”

He does not, however, have a quarrel with the idea behind the unique identity project. “Aadhaar is indeed a great idea but its enrollment procedure is complex. Aadhaar can be optimistic for urban areas but rural populace may find it difficult due to their ignorance and low literacy level,” he opined.

As per the plan, DCT projected that its implementation would help in rectifying the leakages prevailing in the major programs like the Public Distribution System (PDS) under which food subsidy is given to the poor in the country. Experts have labored over the heavy loss in the scheme due to mounting leakages.

To plug these leakages, the government proposes to roll out the cash transfer scheme for food subsidy initially to six Union Territories and willing states. Leakages have gone on unchecked and the latest data serves as a reminder of the menace. According to Consumer affairs, food and public distribution ministry in 2013 (up to January 2013), 24 complaints regarding the leakages were registered this year.

Talking about the premature implementation of DCT scheme in view of the Aadhaar, S. Indrakant, RBI Chair Professor at Hyderabad based Centre for Social Development (CSD), said, “Direct cash transfer can be a dream project for the government but it’s a premature thought in terms of its implementation.”

He recalled that earlier the food coupon scheme was introduced in Andhra Pradesh to control the leakages in the food distribution system. Initially the scheme worked appropriately but was later abandoned as it also promoted leakages due to its hierarchy of distribution.

“Similarly DCT may provide cash benefits to the needy but it also involves hierarchy and this time within the family. If the head of the family who receives the cash is an alcoholic then the money is again going to be misused,” he warned.