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

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

10949 - Aadhaar Articles dated 31st March 2017



1.12 billion Indians have Aadhaar numbers by now. Here's how Modi government plans to sign up ...
Economic Times
More than 1.12 billion Indians -- 88.2 per cent of the population -- have now been enrolled for Aadhaar, the controversial biometric national identity ...
100 percent Aadhaar coverage in Telangana - Deccan Chronicle
Will making Aadhaar mandatory help at all? - Daily News & Analysis


Is Aadhaar a breach of privacy?
The Hindu
Aadhaar is mass surveillance technology. Unlike targeted surveillance, which is good and essential for national security and public order, mass ...
Operator blacklisted for making Dhoni's Aadhaar form public - The Hindu
Dhoni gaffe gets Aadhaar agent 10-year-ban - Times of India
Wife complains to minister after Dhoni's Aadhaar form leaked - Times of India


Arun Jaitley's smug defence of Aadhaar's many loopholes is plain wrong
Quartz
“What is the guarantee that you have the technology to protect the hacking of bank accounts, hacking of income-tax accounts through the Aadhaar ...
Government admits Aadhaar was 'great initiative of Congress regime' - Economic Times
Central departments, states told to ensure info such as Aadhaar nos, bank details not published ... - Economic Times
Aadhaar: Congress seeks guarantee against data breach, Arun Jaitley says firewalls can be broken - The Indian Express


Aadhaar scheme helped government save Rs 34000 crore: Finance Secy
Economic Times
NEW DELHI: Finance secretary Ashok Lavasa has termed “revolutionary” the Aadhaar card scheme, saying it has helped the government save Rs ...
Benefits of Aadhaar should not be undermined: Lavasa - Moneycontrol.com
Aadhaar should not be undermined by critics: Ashok Lavasa - Business Standard
Govt initiatives using aadhaar saved Rs 34K crore; aadhaar benefits should not be undermined ... - The Indian Express


Government Blacklists Aadhaar Agency After Dhoni's Private Details Get Leaked
Indiatimes.com
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has blacklisted the central government from which the Aadhaar details of former Indian captain MS ...
UIDAI Springs Into Action After Dhoni's Aadhaar Info Made Public - The Wire
Dhoni's personal Aadhaar data leaked on Twitter - National Herald
Aadhaar Details of MS Dhoni Shared on Twitter; IT Minister Promises 'Serious Action' - NDTV


A shaky Aadhaar
The Indian Express
By this time, the government had said to the court that the people of this country do not have a right to privacy; the Aadhaar Act had been passed in ...





Government admits your Aadhaar data has been leaked
The New Indian Express
CHENNAI: If you have an Aadhaar Card and if your bank accounts and other sensitive information are linked to it, chances are that your data is no ...





Indian expats 'not eligible for Aadhaar IDs'
gulfnews.com
Abu Dhabi: Millions of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) living across the world do not need to bother about their Aadhaar identity card as it is not ...





From Aadhaar To Ayurveda: Shashi Tharoor's Reddit Session Is A Must-Read
NDTV
Reddit users brought everything from Aadhaar cards to the ingredients in his toothpaste to Indian politics to the table. With some intelligent questions ...





Aadhaar: Government's Resistance And Supreme Court's Silence
BloombergQuint
Violation of fundamental rights of equality and privacy, introduction and passing of the Aadhaar Act as a money bill and the collection of biometric data ...





Aadhaar key to online censor applications
Times of India
However, directors and producers will now need Aadhaar cards to apply for online certifications that should begin from the first week of April.





Social Humour: Twitterati opposes Aadhaar Card using Aadhaar Memes
Times of India
Twitter users expressed apprehensions over Aadhaar cards being forced upon them citing infringement of their privacy and trended #AadhaarMemes ...





Only 34% mid-day meal beneficiary students have Aadhaar cards
Times of India
Meerut: Nearly a month after Union HRD ministry said that Aadhaar cards are a must for mid-day meals and instructed to make a list of students who ...





From April, use your Aadhaar number to shop at merchant stores
The New Indian Express
MUMBAI: Come April and customers can simply use their Aadhaar number to make purchases at merchant stores without having to use a credit, debit ...





This Is What Mandatory Aadhaar Is Doing To HIV/AIDS Patients In MP
Youth Ki Awaaz
The linking of Aadhaar with the health scheme will only add to their woes,” an evaluator at MPSACS told the paper on the condition of anonymity.





Government defends Aadhaar in Rajya Sabha amid setback on Finance Bill amendments
Livemint
Earlier, while replying to the debate, finance minister Arun Jaitley strongly defended the government's endeavour to make Aadhaar compulsory for ...
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