AADHAAR RELATED ARTICLES: 9076 - Government plans to make matrimonial websites safer

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, November 22, 2015

9076 - Government plans to make matrimonial websites safer - TNN

Government plans to make matrimonial websites safer

TNN | Nov 19, 2015, 05.38 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Faced with increasing complaints related to fake online profiles, stalking and harassment by "prospective grooms'', the government plans to bring in guidelines to rein in matrimonial websites. An inter-ministerial panel has been set up to prepare a draft within a fortnight. Among the issues that the committee is expected to address include mandating identity proof that is verifiable and establishing a grievance redressal mechanism.

Women and child development secretary V Somasundaran chaired a meeting on Tuesday on the issue with representatives from the department of electronics and IT and the home ministry. "We have been receiving a lot of complaints about fraud being committed by men posing as prospective grooms. We would like these websites to put in place certain mechanisms that ensure that users can verify the identity given online before they commit to further communication,'' an official said.

Websites will also be asked to establish a grievance redressal mechanism. Other suggestions include adding a cautionary note asking users to verify the information provided from secondary sources.

The inter-ministerial panel includes representatives from the ministries of WCD, IT and home affairs besides three members from the industry. "We expect a first draft within the next 15 days. It will be reviewed and if it meets the concerns of all stakeholders, the IT ministry will notify it under the Information Technology Act," the official said.

WCD minister Maneka Gandhi is very keen to introduce some checks on matrimonial websites. The ministry has suggested that websites ask prospective grooms to submit a reliable form of identification like an Aadhaar card or PAN card to begin with.

Top Comment

Surprising that just a mobile is enough to register. The sites should ask identity like PAN card, scanned copy of salar... Read More

Nageswara Rao S

In a meeting with matrimonial websites earlier, the ministry had sought to know the steps taken by them to ascertain the users' identity. "The ministry wanted to know if the websites were aware of what the men were doing on the websites. It was felt that due diligence was not being done and that people were able to get away with false identities," a source said. As of now, only a mobile number is required to register with these sites.

However, websites too realize that they would lose business if they do not adhere to these suggestions. Online marriage websites are a huge draw, hosting millions of profiles. Matrimonial websites had earlier expressed reservations about putting either of these suggestions in practice. They say privacy is a concern among those using the website and details like Aadhaar or PAN card could be misused. They also said making any of these documents mandatory would not stop "exploitation" or stalking of women.