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

Sunday, August 31, 2014

5809 - Tribal Kid Denied Admission into Welfare Hostel Ends Life - New Indian Express

Tribal Kid Denied Admission into Welfare Hostel Ends Life
By Express News Service
Published: 26th August 2014 06:00 AM
Last Updated: 26th August 2014 05:07 AM

VISAKHAPATNAM: Dejected over denial of admission into Tribal Welfare Ashram High School at Killoguda, a 11-year-old tribal student committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his residence in Diguavakolaputtu village of Dumbriguda mandal in Visakhapatnam district late Sunday night. His body was found by his family members Monday.

Korra Balakrishna, a resident of Diguvakolaputtu village, sought admission into Class VI at the Tribal Welfare Ashram High School at Killoguda in Dumbriguda mandal recently. However, the school headmaster insisted that the youngster should submit his Aadhaar card number for obtaining scholarship and continue his education as per the conditional norms by the government.

But the young lad, who was born with webbed fingers, was denied enrolment at the Aadhaar centre as he could not give his biometric finger prints. On Saturday, the school authorities are learnt to have informed all the students to submit the Aadhaar card numbers or risk losing their scholarships. Unable to obtain an Aadhaar card and fearing that he cannot study further, Balakrishna took the tragic step at his residence Sunday night.

Reacting swiftly, district education officer M Venkata Krishna Reddy ordered mandal education officer V Trinadha Rao to probe the incident. Preliminary reports submitted by the MEO suggested that Balakrishna’s parents took him home Saturday as he was suffering from severe stomach pain. “He was also depressed for unknown reasons. We suspect that the stomach pain could also have led to his suicide,” the MEO reported.

Taking serious note of the incident, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) directed the district collector, ITDA project director and the superintendent of police to hold an inquiry into the incident and submit a report to the Commission before August 30. The Commission ordered immediate proceedings under Child Rights Protection Laws, Right to Education Act, and Persons With Disabilities Act.
Meanwhile, HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao directed Tribal Welfare deputy director T Mallikarjun Reddy to look into the issue and submit a report to the government at the earliest. He wanted the officials to take stringent action against the persons responsible for the incident.

What Allegedly Led Balakrishna to Take His Life:
  • He was denied admission into Tribal Welfare Ashram High School at Killoguda without Aadhaar card number which enables him to obtain scholarship.
  • He was refused an Aadhaar card as he was born with webbed fingers and could not give his biometric fingerprints.
Probe Ordered:
Both the state government and the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights have ordered for investigation into the incident and wanted the district authorities to submit a report before August 30.


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