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

Friday, December 23, 2016

10592 - UIDAI says don't share your Aadhaar ID... Wait what? - India Today


UIDAI says don't share your Aadhaar ID... Wait what?

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has issued some security advice through its Twitter handle on Saturday. In the series of tweets the UIDAI has warned people not to share their document no. or a printed copy with anyone. While this seems to be sensible advice since the Aadhaar ID stores all your information including biometric data, it stands in contradiction to the perceived use of the ID as a nationally accepted identification document.

In the last one year or so not only government departments have sort kind of mandated the use of Aadhaar to deliver services but many private firms like Reliance Jio and Airtel too have started accepting Aadhaar as a valid proof of ID and require a copy of the document from people seeking new SIM cards.

UIDAI in its tweet said that "We urge you to be very discreet about your Aadhaar & other identity documents. Do not share the document no. or a printed copy with anyone".

Follow

Aadhaar
✔
@UIDAI
We urge you to be very discreet abt your Aadhaar & other identity documents. Do not share the document no. or a printed copy with anyone 1/3
4:25 AM - 12 Nov 2016
It is to be noted here that the Aadhaar card is mostly the first identification any government or private form requires. While there are other options available in most cases, some companies like Reliance Jio don't give a SIM card if you don't have an Aadhaar card.

While in the first tweet UIDAI urges people not to share the details, the second tweet takes a softer tone with saying 

"Wherever you are submitting a copy of your Aadhaar, self-attest it and state the purpose clearly to avoid misuse".
Follow

Aadhaar
✔
@UIDAI
Wherever you are submitting a copy of your Aadhaar, self-attest it and state the purpose clearly to avoid misuse. 2/3
4:26 AM - 12 Nov 2016
It is definitely a sensible thing to self-attest any ID proof and write a reason on it, but some online forms make the Aadhaar number mandatory and it doesn't require a photocopy either, leaving an applicant in a lurch whether to listen to UIDAI and not share the details or otherwise.

The UID, or Aadhaar card, was intended to identify beneficiaries of Direct Benefit Schemes as MNREG, domestic LPG, etc. Since July 2014, several government offices also use Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance system.

The Aadhaar identification is now used for most government services like passport, voter ID, ration cards and more. So basically to avail many government and private schemes a person has to share his Aadhaar ID, but the UIDAI says don't.
The authority in its last tweet also sends a slightly reassuring message. It says, "If there has been a misuse, you can take legal action".  
CLICK ON TITLE TO SEE ORIGINAL ARTICLE - Posted by