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

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

3296 - Approval for funding Phase IV of the UIDAI





Approval for funding Phase IV of the UIDAI 

The Cabinet Committee on Unique Identification Authority of India (CC-UIDAI)
 today approved cost estimates of Phase IV of the UID Scheme at an estimated cost
 of Rs.3436.16 crore which includes various project components such as cost of
 enrolment for additional 40 crore residents through multiple registrars, cost of
 updation services, cost of printing and delivery of Aadhaar letters, additional cost
 for construction of buildings for headquarters, data centres, non-data centres and
 additional rent for regional offices of UIDAI.

The expenditure comprises (a) Rs. 1600 crore towards cost of enrolments for
 additional 40 crore residents, (b) Rs. 490 crore towards cost of updation services,
 (c) Rs.1049 crore towards cost of printing and dispatch of Aadhaar letters,
 (d) Rs. 247.16 crore towards additional cost for construction of buildings for
headquarters, data centres and non-data centres.

Phase IV of the project will commence immediately. Since the launch of the
 project on 29th September 2010, UID numbers have been issued to more than
 31 crore residents. Enrolment for additional 40 crore residents allotted to UIDAI
 will be completed by March 2014. UID numbers will also be issued in respect of
 enrolment data packets received through Registrar General of India (RGI) as per
 their committed time lines.

The UID project would provide unique numbers to all residents of India. The UID
 project is primarily aimed at ensuring inclusive growth by providing a form of
 identity to those who do not have any identity. It also seeks to provide UID
 numbers to marginalized section of the society and thus would strengthen equity.
 Apart from providing identity, the UID will enable better delivery of services and
 effective governance.

Background

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was established in 2009 and
 has been mandated to issue Unique Identification (UID) numbers to residents of
 India. UIDAI was constituted by the Government of India on 28th January 2009 as
 an attached office of the Planning Commission. Consequent upon creation and
 establishment of the UIDAI in 2009 for providing unique identification to
 residents across the country, the proposal for Phase I of the scheme was placed
 before the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) for seeking approval for an amount
 of Rs.147.31 crore to meet expenditure during the initial period of 12 months.
 The proposal was approved by the SFC in its meeting held on 11th November,
 2009 and by the Finance Minister subsequently.

Subsequently, Phase II of the scheme comprising cost estimates towards issuing
10 crore UID numbers (Aadhaar numbers) through multiple registrars, other
 project components and recurring establishment costs for the period upto
 March 2014 for an total outlay of Rs.3,023.01 crore was approved by the
 CC-UIDAI in its meeting held on 22nd July, 2010.

Thereafter, Phase III of the scheme comprising cost estimates towards issue of
 UID numbers (Aadhaar numbers) to 20 crore residents through multiple registrars
 upto March 2012, technology and other support infrastructure costs for creation,
storage and maintenance of data and services for leveraging the usage of Aadhaar
 for the entire estimated resident population upto March 2017 was approved by
 the CC-UIDAI in its meeting held on 27th January, 2012. The outlay was
 Rs.8,814.75 crore by subsuming the earlier approval of Rs.3,023.01 crore for Phase II of the Scheme.

SH/NK

(Release ID :95881)
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