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, July 31, 2017

11679 - Govt says no Aadhaar data leak from UIDAI but bank details made public at times - Money Control

Jul 28, 2017 02:31 PM IST | Source: Moneycontrol.com
Govt says no Aadhaar data leak from UIDAI but bank details made public at times


There has been no incident of data breach or hacking so far in respect to Aadhaar Data and Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR), says Minister of State for Electronics PP Chaudhary.

Moneycontrol News
Minister of State for Electronics PP Chaudhary on Wednesday said that there have been instances where sensitive data such as bank account  details collected by several ministries/state government departments for their welfare schemes have reportedly been published online.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Chaudhary said that data theft is possible if assets are not secured properly but there has been no incident of data breach or hacking so far in respect to Aadhaar Data and Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR), when he was asked whether data  breaches  and  hacking  is  a  regular  phenomenon  witnessed by the  information technology department.

Last week, around 210 websites of the central and state government departments were reported to have displayed personal details and Aadhaar numbers of many beneficiaries.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) had taken note of the incident and removed the personal details from the said websites.
Below is the complete reply of PP Chaudhary on the matter.
Lok Sabha Answer On Aadhaar by Moneycontrol News on Scribd


scribd. scribd. scribd.

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1827
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 26.07.2017
PROTECTION OF AADHAAR DATA
1827. SHRI SUMAN BALKA:
SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:
SHRI HARISH MEENA:
SHRI DIBYENDU ADHIKARI:
Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:
(a) whether the data breaches and hacking is the regular phenomenon of the information
technology;
(b)
if so, India’s secured rate of prevention of decryption on the privacy and security systems of the
 public utility services including biometrics therefor;
(c) whether it has come to the notice of the Ministry that there have been instances wherein
 personal identity or information of residents, along with Aadhaar numbers and demographic
information and other sensitive personal data have been leaked and published online, if so, the
details thereof and the compensation likely to be provided to the individuals; and
(d) the progress of Aadhaar projects in the country and whether the Government further plans for
single identification number combining PAN, Aadhaar, Election Card, Ration Card and bank
account thereof and if so, the details therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY)
(a): Data breaches and hacking is possible on the assets of Information Technology if they are not
 properly secured and configured. No incidents of data breach and hacking have been reported so far
in respect of Aadhaar Data and Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR).
(b): Does not arise in view of (a) above.
(c): There has been no leakage of Aadhaar data from UIDAI. However, some instances have come
to the notice of the Government wherein personal identity or information of the residents including
Aadhaar number and demographic information and sensitive data such as bank account details
collected by several Ministries/State Government Departments in the administration of their welfare
schemes has been reportedly published online. The Secretaries of all the Ministries/Departments and
the Chief Secretaries of all the State/UTs have been advised by the Government of India in the
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology in March 2017 and April 2017 to refrain from
such publishing and also that any such contents already published or still appearing publicly may be
discontinued with immediate effect.









There is no proposal/provision for providing compensation to individuals in this regard.
(d): As on date, more than 116 crore Aadhaar numbers have been generated for residents of India.
Presently, the Government is not considering any proposal of providing a single identification
number.
*******








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