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 14, 2020

14445 - 13th April 2020 - Daily Digest,


Aadhaar,
Daily update ⋅ 13 April 2020

No tax on EPF withdrawals amid covid-19
Livemint
In case your Aadhaar is updated with EPF account, it will ask you to enter four digits of your bank account for verification. After verification of bank ...

Has a Trojan Horse entered the financial gates?
The Sunday Guardian
Whether in some ways Aadhaar is a Trojan horse, one that was welcomed as a gift in to the secure world of finance by the Reserve Bank of India, in to ...

Covid-19: Digital payments aids cash transfer under Garib Kalyan scheme
Livemint
"A digital pipeline has been laid through linking of Jan-Dhan accounts as well as other accounts with the account holders' mobile numbers and Aadhaar ...

India Post Payments Bank – the common man's banking partner
Moneycontrol.com
To complete basic financial transactions, customers simply had to authenticate their identity with fingerprint scan and Aadhaar authentication. Prasad ...

Drive-through Covid-19 testing centres launched in Mumbai
Livemint
... appointment by calling the company, and present a doctor's prescription seeking a Covid-19 test and a copy of Aadhaar Card, the statement added.

Pregnant, lactating women, children malnourished during lockdown: PUCL
The New Indian Express
"Ration shop owners insisted on Aadhaar and OTP verification even though government said it is not mandatory. Ration cardholders are required to ...

Delhi govt issues temporary ration coupon: Here's how to apply
India TV
Step 8: Take this Coupon with the original Aadhar card to ration centre and collect your ration. The applicants should also know that the website is ...

'Can't estimate the losses, feel that it will run into hundreds of crores': Chiranjeevi on Telegu film ...
DNA India
Since we couldn't go out, we took the help of people in the software industry to track the workers through their Aadhaar cards." Chiranjeevi also spoke ...

A virulence we can do without
Deccan Chronicle
... produced Aadhaar cards to establish that they were Indians. The issue was resolved only when the authorities, alerted on social media, intervened.

Public vehicle drivers to be given RS 5k assistance: Kejriwal
Newsd.in
The application process will then be completed and the relief assistance will be transferred to the applicant's Aadhaar linked bank accounts,” the ...

Labour union helps govt officials secure details of guest workers
Times of India
We are passing on their Aadhaar details and other details we get from the unions,” he said. An official with the enforcement wing of the district labour ...

Drive-through Covid-19 tests are now possible in Gurugram as two labs open centres
Times of India
... doctor for the Covid-19 test and a copy of the Aadhaar card. People can call on the toll-free number 1800-222000 to book an appointment with SRL, ...

Across the Aisle: Remonetise the poor
Financial Express (Hindi)
De-duplicate using Aadhaar. Authorise states to cross-check with their BPL lists and draw up the final list. For the rural poor, start with MGNREGA

Govt scheme to help folk artistes hit by lockdown
Times of India
For this scheme, the address entered in the Aadhaar card of the artistes will be the basis for deciding the rural area. Artistes eligible for the scheme will ...

Tax refunds to EPF withdrawals: Govt's economic measures to aid individuals amid coronavirus crisis
Hindustan Times
Deadline for linking Aadhaar with PAN card has also been extended from March 31 to June 30, 2020. The government has also introduced measures ...

New Delhi: Coronavirus clusters to be colour-coded red and orange, says Kejriwal
The Indian Express
The amount will be transferred to the Aadhar-linked bank accounts of the public service vehicle (PSV) bagde holders. The applicants will have to ...

No Job, No Home & No Food: Construction Workers Worst-hit Due to Coronavirus Lockdown
Yahoo India News
... identification documents such as mandatory link of Aadhaar to the ration card and inactive bank accounts have caused hurdles for migrant workers ...
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