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

Monday, April 3, 2017

10925 - The long list of Aadhaar linked schemes - The Hindu

The Hindu
The long list of Aadhaar linked schemes
K Deepalakshmi
March 24, 2017

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-long-list-of-aadhaar-linked-schemes/article17641068.ece

The UID number, popularly known as Aadhaar, was envisaged as an end to fake or multiple identities. However, the ambitious scheme has been facing controversies and successive governments have been silent on questions on the security of personal data collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is hearing arguments on whether Aadhaar breaches the privacy of citizens.The UID number, popularly known as Aadhaar, was envisaged as an end to fake or multiple identities
The current NDA government has gone ahead with linking Aadhaar with various centrally sponsored schemes. It has maintained in courts that obtaining an Aadhaar number and using it to avail subsidy is voluntary.
The Aadhaar Act, tabled as a Money Bill and passed by the Lok Sabha, says its aim is to “ provide for targeted delivery of subsidies and services to individuals residing in India by assigning them unique identity numbers, called Aadhaar numbers,” and does not mention the word ‘mandatory.’ But it is now unavoidable, as over 50 schemes are linked to Aaadhar.
As proof of identity
Aadhaar is accepted as a valid identity proof by the Central and all State governments for availing services, including application for passport, opening of bank or insurance accounts, getting telephone and mobile phone connections, and buying rail tickets and availing concessions.
To verify electoral rolls
In order to keep a check on multiple entries in electoral rolls, the Election Commission has started a drive to include Aadhaar number along with Electors Photo Identity Card or voter Id card.
Also watch: principles for universal identification systems
(Graphic by T. Ramachandran)
In Provident fund
The Employees Provident Fund Organisation allots a Universal Account Number in order to facilitate smooth transfer of funds when an employee switches companies. By linking his/her Aadhaar to this UAN, the employee can transfer the PF amount directly to the saving account.
For filing I-T returns
For the past couple of years, the Income Tax Department has enabled an Aadhaar-based mechanism to digitally sign and submit I-T returns online. This financial year, the government has made it mandatory to link Aadhaar with PAN to eliminate multiple PAN used by individuals. Holding more than one PAN per person is a criminal offence.
In Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
This flagship scheme launched by the Modi government aims to provide free LPG connection to below poverty line (BPL) families. The scheme uses Aadhaar to verify the claim of the beneficiary and to transfer the subsidy amount.
For digital payments
The Unified Payment Interface and the recently launched BHIM app support Aadhaar based money transfer. The IDFC Bank has recently rolled out Aadhaar Pay, where the customer’s fingerprint is used to pay the merchant.
In Direct Benefit Transfer
The first major rollout of Aadhaar based service was Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), a mechanism to hand over the subsidy and welfare amount directly to the beneficiary’s bank account, instead of the existing practice of giving banker’s cheque or cash.
As of today 92 centrally-sponsored schemes from 19 Ministries are implemented through DBT. The prominent among them are PAHAL for LPG subsidy, cash transfer of food subsidy and MGNREGA.
Others are:
Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme
Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Grameen)
BSR Doctoral Fellowship in Sciences
Dr. S. Radharkrishnan Post Doctoral Fellowship In Humanities
Emeritus Fellowship
Kothari Post Doctoral Fellowship in Sciences
National Research Professorship
Ishan Uday Scholarship Scheme for North Eastern Region
National Eligibility Test-Junior Research. Fellowship
P.G. Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child
P.G. Scholarship for Professional Courses for SC or ST candidates
P.G. Scholarship for University Rank Holders
PG Scholarship for GATE qualified PG Students
PMSSS for J and K Students admitted in rest of India
Post Doctoral.Fellowship for Women
Post- Doctoral Fellowship for SC or ST Candidates
Pragati Scholarship for girls Diploma Institutes
Pragati Scholarship for girls in Degree Colleges
QIP for faculty deputed for PhD studies at QIP centers
Saksham Scholarship for differently abled students of Degree College
Saksham scholarship for differently abled students of Diploma Institutes
Scholarship To Universities /College Students
Swami Vivekananda Single Girl Child Scholarship
Artistes Pension Scheme and Welfare Fund
Finacial assistance for the preservation and development of Himalayan Cultural Heritage for Himalaya
Financial Assistance for the Cultural Function Grant SchemeCFGS
Financial Assistance for the development of Buddhist / Tibetian Organizations
Financial Assistance to Cultural Organization
International Cultural Relation
Production Grant
Repertory Grant Scheme
Scheme for the Award of Fellowship to outstanding persons in the field of Culture
Scheme for Scholarships to Young Artistes in different cultural fields
Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research
Artistes Pension Scheme and Welfare Fund
Finacial assistance for the preservation and development of Himalayan Cultural Heritage for Himalaya
Financial Assistance for the Cultural Function Grant Scheme
Financial Assistance for the development of Buddhist / Tibetian Organizations
Financial Assistance to Cultural Organization
International Cultural Relation
Production Grant
Repertory Grant Scheme
Scheme for the Award of Fellowship to outstanding persons in the field of Culture
Scheme for Scholarships to Young Artistes in different cultural fields
Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research
Maternity Benefit Programme
Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage
National Means Cum Merit Scholarship
National Scheme For Incentive For The Girl Child For Secondary Education
Maulana Azad National Fellowship
Merit Cum Means Scholarship For Minorities
Post Matric Scholarship Scheme For Minorities
Pre Matric Scholarship Scheme For Minorities
Housing Subsidy To Beedi Workers
Housing Subsidy To Iron/Manganese/Chrome Ore Workers
Housing Subsidy To Lime Stone and Dolomite LSDM Workers
Rehabilitation Assistance
Scholarship To The Children of Lime Stone and Dolomite LSDM Workers
Scholarship To The Children of Beedi Workers
Scholarship To The Children of Cine Workers
Scholarship To The Children of Iron/Manganese/Chrome Ore Workers
Stipend to children in the special schools under the National Child Labour Project
Stipend to Differently Abled Candidates under Scheme of Vocational Rehabilitation Centre
Stipend To Trainees Under The Scheme Of Welfare Of SC/ST Job Seekers
Post-matric Scholarship for Persons with Disabilities
Pre-matric scholarship for Persons with disabilities
Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for students
Scholarship for Top Class Education
Janani Suraksha Yojana
Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana
Life Insurance-linked with Jan Dhan Yojana
Assistance for procurement of modified scooter
Assistance for purchase of Tool Kits
Assistance for treatment of cancer and dialysis
Assistance for treatment of listed serious diseases
Interest subsidy on home loan upto max 1 lakh
Prime Minister Scholarship Scheme

Cash Transfer of Food Subsidy
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