AADHAAR RELATED ARTICLES: 8218 - ‘Digitisation will improve the quality of life’

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, July 14, 2015

8218 - ‘Digitisation will improve the quality of life’ - Hindu Businessline

‘Digitisation will improve the quality of life’

S RONENDRA SINGH

Ram Sewak Sharma, Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology. Ramesh Sharma

Digitisation is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, says Ram Sewak Sharma, Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology.

His department is the nerve of the ‘Digital India’ programme along with partners both in the public and private sector. In a conversation with BusinessLine, Sharma shared his thoughts on the programme and the future of Digital India. Edited excerpts:

Considering that a majority of of the population cannot use computers and does not possess smartphones, how will digitisation work?

Digitisation is not an end, but a means to an end. Our objective is to use digitisation as a means to improve quality of life. The initiatives we have been taking are targeted at giving greater access to public services to the segment of the population that does not have access to computers.

The opening of common service centres and focus on skill development and digital literacy will go a long way in addressing the issues you have mentioned.

As far as smartphone use is concerned, trends clearly show that their prices are falling. We are focussing on developing applications that use the power of the smartphone to access pubic services. We are approaching the problem from the supply end and from the side of improving access to public services.

What will the role of local and foreign investors be in this programme?

The Digital India Programme covers a wide canvas that will help both domestic as well as global investors and entrepreneurs, as it will create demand for a range of IT products and services and IT enabled services. But the opportunities are not just limited to what the Government would do through its own funds.

Many projects under the programme will have spin-off and indirect effects that will spur the growth of the IT and electronics and manufacturing sectors in general, including start ups.

How beneficial will the programme be for citizens?

Almost all programmes and applications that the government is launching are aimed at helping citizens. However, the visibility and direct use of some applications may vary.

For instance, the Aadhaar platform has become the bedrock for establishing and validating the identity of a person. Programmes to develop IT infrastructure aim at providing digital access and services through networks, Wi-Fi, and similar means.

There are specific products, portals and applications that directly address the needs of citizens. Applications like the ‘Digital locker’ and ‘e-sign’ are aimed at eliminating difficulties faced by citizens in accessing and providing copies of their own documents and certificates. Then there are applications like e-hospital, which will help citizens access health services and help decongest hospital areas as patients can seek appointments electronically.

Would apps/ services like Aadhaar be voluntary or mandatory?

As far as Aadhaar is concerned, at this juncture it is perhaps the best available and secure means for establishing identity. Having said that, it may be emphasised that all apps and services are voluntary in nature.

How can Digital India be executed properly in terms of organisation, single point of contact and promotions? How will network and connectivity issues be dealt with?

For applications to succeed, the backend infrastructure has to be in place. We have adopted a twin-pronged approach of addressing constraints at the back end, including that of connectivity. We are also developing applications that directly address a given problem. Also, since most Digital India initiatives are implemented in the States, their involvement is also critical and fortunately the responses from State Governments have been overwhelming.

What big policy initiatives will you be unveiling over the next two-three years?

Digital India rests on nine pillars of growth: Broadband Highways, Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity, Public Internet Access Programme, e-Governance – Reforming Governance through Technology, e-Kranti – Electronic Delivery of Services, Information for All, Electronic Manufacturing, IT for Jobs and Early Harvest Programmes.

(This article was published on June 30, 2015)