AADHAAR RELATED ARTICLES: 3255 - Biometric attendance in all govt colleges

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, April 23, 2013

3255 - Biometric attendance in all govt colleges

Biometric attendance in all govt colleges

Bangalore, Ramzauva Chhakchhuak, April 15, 2013, DHNS:

The biometric face recognition system that was put in place as a pilot project in five government first grade colleges in Bangalore in February to ensure better accountability of lecturers’ attendance, will be extended to all the 360-odd government degree colleges in the State from the next academic year, despite opposition from lecturers.

“Face recognition while signing in attendance has reduced the possibility of proxy. The system has been introduced in 10 to 15 colleges in Mysore, Mangalore and Kodagu,” said Channappa Gowda, commissioner, Department of Collegiate Education (DCE). The DCE tied up with Ipomo, a Bangalore-based company that specialises mainly in mobile learning and introduced the system on a pilot basis between February 25 and March 25 in Maharani’s Arts College, Maharani’s Science College, Government Arts College, Government Science College and VHD Home Science College in Bangalore. Following good reviews from principals of these colleges about the system, the department has decided to extend it to colleges across the State.

The system is already in place in 16 colleges in Bangalore in addition to a few in remote areas such as Manki, Honnavar, and Somwarpet, according to the founder and managing director, Ipomo, Hari Prakash Shanbhog.

A senior official from DCE told Deccan Herald that several colleges had come forward to adopt the system as they cannot ‘control’ their lecturers. Principals highlighted how lecturers would stay in the colleges only for a few hours and leave as soon their classes are over. According to the rules, they should be present in the colleges for at least seven hours a day and for four hours on Saturdays.

Lecturers unhappy

However, lecturers deny these allegations terming them as ‘totally false.’ Although they are not against the system, they oppose the new move as it is an act of ‘intimidation’ and ‘punishment.’

“Lecturers are involved in a number of activities related to the college even after class hours. It is not as if we just run away from the premises. This measure has shaken the confidence and the trust between teachers and the principals,” said a lecturer from one of the five colleges where the system was introduced as a pilot project.

“The system has been imposed upon us even without any consultation. It is bound to become a weapon to irritate teachers by the authorities. How can the goal of academic progress be achieved by such a measure?” the lecturer questioned.

H Prakash, president, Karnataka Government College Doctorate Teachers’ Association said: “A number of colleges do not have basic facilities such as toilets and drinking water. In some colleges, classes are conducted in primary school buildings. No one is against the new system. However, more urgent concerns need to addressed first,” he said.

How the system works

Any android-based mobile phone with a camera is customised to record data such as the time of entry and exit through an application uploaded in it.

Every lecturer gets an unique identity which he/she has to compulsorily enter in the device while entering and exiting the college premises. The device does a face recognition every time the unique identity is entered. The device then collects and consolidates the data, which can be accessed by the DCE. “We have used android-based mobile phone with a sim card. Any mobile phone network can be used and, it is much cheaper than having computers, LAN and internet connections,” said Hari Prakash Shanbhog.