AADHAAR RELATED ARTICLES: 10848 - Data is the new oil, Jio stands for affordability: Mukesh Ambani

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, February 17, 2017

10848 - Data is the new oil, Jio stands for affordability: Mukesh Ambani - Indian Express

Data is the new oil, Jio stands for affordability: Mukesh Ambani

By IANS | Published: 15th February 2017 07:55 PM |

Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani. | PTI

MUMBAI: Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani on Wednesday said the company's newly-launched telecom venture Reliance Jio stands for affordability and data is the new oil in the industry.

"Jio was conceived at a time when the world was fast digitising. What the Jio platform offers is partner with the next generation to solve problems for India to make sure our industries are more productive," Ambani said.

"To my mind, data is the new natural resource. In that sense, India is blessed with 1.3 billion people, for it to have real value it has to be processed into intelligence. Data is the new oil and its benefit is immense to society. India with its young population will have a competitive advantage," he added.

He was speaking at an interactive session at the Nasscom India Leadership Forum 2017 here.

Reliance Jio has disrupted the Indian telecom industry with its free data offer till March.

"With the investment in Jio and concurrent action spurred in the industry, India can be among the top 10 in broadband access. Data is the oxygen of this digital life and no Indian should have this in scarcity," he added.

Ambani said human race is at the doorstep of fourth industrial revolution of convergence of digital and biological science. "At the foundation of fourth industrial revolution is connectivity and data, the convergence of all the sciences has been brought about."

Ambani said Aadhaar has enabled Reliance Jio to have millions of customers within few months.

Talking about digital payments, he said: "After the Aadhaar, you consider the digital payments system that is fast developing. Earlier, loans and financial resources were only available to a few people at high value. Now, I see that changing on the basis of technology. Now based on data, you can get a loan on your mobile phone."

"We are at the doorsteps of change in adapting technology to change the lives of people."

"In this new world in terms of digitisation it is important to be open. Whatever the world trends may be, we have to make sure we are always open, always connected. The goal of improving the lives of hundreds of millions of people is the opportunity that we have," he added.

Talking about digitisation, Ambani said: "We have opportunity to adapt artificial intelligence, natural language processing, drones in terms of our logistics. Opportunities are immense. Now we have infrastructure to do it in our own market and make India one of the biggest software markets"of the world."

Counselling a five-point tip-sheet for budding entrepreneurs and potential start-up founders, Ambani said it is essential to find a passion for solving a problem without focusing primarily on financial returns.

"As an entrepreneur, you find a solution to the problem you are passionate about. It is not solving problems but first finding problems and then solving it. Financial results are actually a by-product. Failures are normal. Learn from them.

"Two non-negotiables for me is treat investors' money even more carefully than your own money. You cannot do anything without the right team, align it passionately to your own mission. An entrepreneur is always optimist," he added.