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, June 25, 2013

3449 - Easy to abuse cash assistance in NYS

Easy to abuse cash assistance in NYS
Unclear how many tax dollars used inappropriately
Updated: Friday, 21 Jun 2013, 6:26 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 21 Jun 2013, 6:21 PM EDT
ALBANY, N.Y. (WIVB) - The State Senate wants to end the ability of those on welfare who receive cash assistance to use that money to pay for things like lottery tickets, cigarettes gambling, strip clubs, drugs and alcohol.
The money comes from your tax dollars and is withdrawn from EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards. But some lawmakers to do not support a proposed law that would restrict how that money can be used.

EBT cards are loaded up each month with benefits, including those for food stamps and Medicaid. Food stamps are tightly regulated by the federal government and the EBT cards are used much like a debit card, allowing officials to see how the money is spent. But in New York State, cash assistance, which comes from Medicaid, can be used for just about anything once it's withdrawn from an EBT card.

Most of the cash assistance is used the way its supposed to be - on food, like at the Broadway Market, or on rent, utility payments, and the like. Shopkeepers at the Broadway Market gladly accept the cards. But many do not agree with cash assistance being used to pay for beer, lottery tickets, or cigarettes.

Scott MacCallum, who works at Camellia's Meats, says, "It is something you just should not do. That money is there provided for food stamps, and it should not be provided for anything else, other than that."

The problem is, in New York, food stamp recipients who also receive cash assistance can withdraw that money from their EBT card and use it on just about anything - even strip clubs or drugs.

Senator Mark Grisanti said, "The money on those cards are being used to buy alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets. They are being used at the casino, lap dances."
State lawmakers are trying stop that with the Public Assistance Integrity Act and limit the use of cash assistance to general necessities.

"The cash money is supposed to be used to pay your electric bill, your gas bill, your rent, buy clothing, buy toilet paper," Sen. Grisanti argued.

Lawmakers in the State Senate have passed measures in the last two years that would crack down on abuse of cash assistance. Last year, that bill died in the Assembly, and this year it could meet the same fate.

Critics of the measure, mostly downstate Democrats, say limiting what someone on public assistance can buy reduces them to second class citizens. But even if the bill passes, it would only prevent someone with an EBT card from withdrawing cash assistance inside liquor stores, casinos and any "adult-oriented" entertainment facilities, which means all a welfare recipient would need to do is stop at another ATM before visiting one of those establishments and using their cash assistance.

If the state doesn't act by February, New York stands to lose $120 million in federal funding.

Right now, the Senate is working with banks to develop technology that would block the purchases of non-essentials when a social services debit card is used at the point of sale. Monitoring cash withdrawals from ATMs will be tougher.
The Assembly is considering restricting the use of cash by regulation through the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance. After that, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says the Assembly will consider legislation.
Republicans speculate as much as $4 million in cash assistance is used inappropriately, largely because it is withdrawn between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., when they argue it is unlikely recipients will be using the money for groceries or to pay bills.


Copyright WIVB.com
CLICK ON TITLE TO SEE ORIGINAL ARTICLE - Posted by