01 August 2017
We live in interesting times. As I write this column, several issues that are bound to have a significant impact on our future lives are in the process of being discussed or decided.
1. The mandatory seeding of Aadhaar, or the unique identification number into every government database, creates the spectre of the government having total control over our lives with the ability to shut down a person at will by cancelling or disabling passports, PAN, bank accounts or access to property. A nine-member bench of the Supreme Court of India (SC) is hearing petitions that will decide whether we have a right to privacy and to what extent it can be circumscribed by the State.