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

Thursday, August 4, 2016

10229 - Modi asks States to share intelligence - The Hindu

NEW DELHI, July 17, 2016

Modi asks States to share intelligence
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Federal spirit:Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at the Inter-State Council Meeting in New Delhi on Saturday.— Photo: Special Arrangement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked the States to focus on intelligence-sharing to help the country stay “alert” to, and “updated” on, internal security challenges.

Addressing the Inter-State Council meeting, convened after 10 years, he saidinternal security could not be strengthened unless the States and the Centre focussed on sharing intelligence.
The Chief Ministers, Lieutenant-Governors of the Union Territories and 17 Union Ministers are members of the Inter-State Council. Modi was interacting with the Chief Ministers on a single platform for the first time since coming to power two years ago.

“With close cooperation, we will not only strengthen the Centre-State relations but also make a better future for the citizens,” he said.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, and of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, did not attend the meeting.

Financial resources
“It would be difficult for any government to successfully implement a scheme on its own. Therefore, provision of adequate financial resources is as important as the responsibility for implementation,” Mr. Modi said.

Mr. Modi appreciated the efforts of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for restarting the process of dialogue between the States and the Centre over the past year.

The Prime Minister noted that with the acceptance of the 14th Finance Commission’s recommendations, the States’ share in Central taxes increased from 32 per cent to 42 per cent. “… the total amount received by the States from the Centre during 2015-16 is 21 per cent higher than the amount received in 2014-15.”

Mr. Modi said panchayats and urban local bodies would receive Rs. 2,87,000 crore during the period of the 14th Finance Commission, substantially higher than last time. The rights of the States were kept in mind, even in revenue from the auction of natural resources. “Auctions of coal blocks will yield Rs. 3.35 lakh crore to the States in the years to come. Auctions of other mines will yield an additional Rs. 18,000 crore to the States.”
Mr. Modi said that through amendments to the CAMPA Act (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill), the Centre was trying to free up Rs. 40,000 crore lying in banks for disbursal to the States. The Centre also wished to share with the States the amount saved as a result of transparency being introduced in the system.

He said India’s greatest asset is its youth as over 30 crore children are now of school-going age. Hence, the country has the potential to provide the world skilled manpower for many years to come. “The Centre and the States must work together to provide our children an enabling environment in which they can develop their skills and prepare themselves for today’s needs. Merely going to school is not education. Education should generate curiosity among children. It should teach them how to attain and enhance knowledge. It should motivate them to continuously keep learning throughout their lives.”

On Aadhaar card
Referring to the Aadhaar card, he said the Aadhaar Act, 2016, enabled the government to use the Aadhaar for direct cash transfer for subsidy and other services. “As on date, 102 crore Aadhaar cards have been distributed in our country of 128 crore people. Seventy-nine per cent of our people now have Aadhaar cards. Among adults, 96 per cent people have the cards. With your support, we shall connect every citizen with an Aadhaar card by the year-end.”

Mr. Modi said the Centre launched a scheme under which, if there is a reduction in kerosene consumption by a State, the Centre would disburse 75 per cent of the resultant savings in subsidy as grant to that State. He lauded the Karnataka government for moving swiftly on this initiative
CLICK ON TITLE TO SEE ORIGINAL ARTICLE - Posted by
Labels: ,