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

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

14455 - 29th April 2020,


Aadhaar,
Daily update ⋅ 29 April 2020


UIDAI allows CSCs to offer Aadhaar updation facility
Livemint
"I would like the CSC's village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs) to start the Aadhaar work as per the UIDAI instructions. This facility will help a large number of ...

Direct transfers via Aadhaar saving India from queues, panic during COVID19: Arvind Gupta
CNBCTV18
Direct money transfers via Aadhaar and the interoperable software layers called India Stack to India's financially vulnerable population have "saved" ...

UP Fishermen get cash in their village through Aadhaar EPS
The Siasat Daily
However, on their request, a postal official reached the village and enabled them to withdraw cash from their accounts through the Aadhaar Enabled ...

Sarvatra Technologies offers door-step cash delivery in rural India; witnesses 353% rise in ...
Express Computer (press release) (blog)
Express Computer · Home » News » Sarvatra Technologies offers door-step cash delivery in rural India; witnesses 353% rise in Aadhaar withdrawals ...

Think about adopting 'One nation one ration card' amid lockdown: SC to govt
Business Standard
The Delhi High Court has asked the AAP government to simplify the procedure of getting ration by poor and needy people who have Aadhaar cards ...

Current Affairs in Short: 28 April 2020
Jagran Josh
UIDAI permits Aadhaar updation facility through CSC. •The Unique Identification Authority of India has decided to make Aadhaar updation facility ...

Maharashtra Man Provides Free Banking to Migrant Workers Stuck Without Cash
The Better India
These people have set up bank accounts using Aadhaar, but they do not know how to withdraw money or don't have ATM cards,” reveals Pereira.

Give grains to poor without ration cards: Delhi HC
Times of India
... government to simplify the procedure of distributing ration to the poor and needy who had Aadhaar and voter IDs, but didn't possess ration cards.

COVID-19 patients should wear 'Aarogya Setu Embedded Wrist Band' for easy monitoring Sushil
THE WEEK
adding it requires Aadhaar and bank account of the state besides geo-tagging ... details of Aadhar and bank accounts have been gathered through

More Than 2000 Members Of Trans Community Write To Central Government For A Special ...
Live Law
... trans community remains outside the coverage of government social security schemes due to lack of basic documentation such as Aadhaar Card, ...

COVID-19: BMC begins survey for returnees; 800 register
OrissaPOST
... to cooperate with the surveyors by providing the names, addresses, mobile and Aadhaar numbers of the family members prior to their arrival here.

Subramanian Swamy writes: Four reasons why Reliance Jio-Facebook deal is commercially ...
Moneycontrol.com
... opportunity to show greater sensitivity about data protection and privacy, which the government has not shown since Aadhaar was introduced.

Maharashtra govt seeks central funds for BharatNet-2 project
Yahoo India News
The minister also sought an Aadhaar-enabled payment system to provide financial assistance to people residing in remote areas. During the ...