12935 - FB Live: Delhi Residents Want Aadhaar to be Revoked - The Quint

FB Live: Delhi Residents Want Aadhaar to be Revoked
AKANKSHA KUMAR2 DAYS AGO
NEWS2 min read


Residents of Kusumpur Pahadi, which is regarded as Delhi’s largest slum, are claiming that Aadhaar has made their lives more difficult. Scores of them have been denied rations, ever since Aadhaar-based authentiction was made mandatory in January this year.

The Quint spoke to the residents of Kusumpur Pahadi, some of whom had participated at a recent public hearing on Aadhaar.

Phoolmati, who is a domestic help, shared her ordeal – how she was made to wait for hours only to be told by the Fair Price Shop owner that the ‘server is down’. Connectivity problems are just the tip of iceberg, with residents claiming that though they have been denied their monthly quota of ration, records indicate ‘zero balance’ against their names for the month of January.

Buying food items from local kirana stores is burning a hole in the pockets of people at Kusumpur Pahadi, inhabited mostly by daily wage labourers.

When Rama Bai’s fingerprints didn’t match, she had to call her son from Rajasthan to use his biometric ID for availing of the 5 kgs of food grains allotted for her, as has been mandated by the National Food Security Act 2013.

Seventy-year-old Samo Devi who stays alone was not so lucky. She has been denied rations in January and February due to biometric authentication failure. Due to the absence of a grievance redressal mechanism, activists are alleging that Aadhaar has not been able to curb corruption and pilferage. Rekha, another resident of Kusumpur Pahadi, shared her experience on how she had to call her husband who was at work and it was his fingerprint that bailed out the family. ‘Angootha hatwa dijiye (revoke the clause of biometric authentication)’, said Urmila who said they’ve never faced such a problem earlier.

Testimonies of the residents of Kusumpur Pahadi will be submitted as evidence as the Delhi High Court continues to hear a plea challenging the Centre’s notification on making Aadhaar compulsory.

While policy-makers envisaged Aadhaar as one-stop solution for plugging leakages, the situation on the ground seems to suggest that such theoretical moves are in fact proving detrimental to the aam aadmi.

Also Read: Denial of Benefits May Not Mean Aadhaar Law ‘Unconstitutional’: SC

GANAPATHI SUBRAMANIAN
2 DAYS AGO
Wherever opponent parties ruling aadhar I'd compulsory. People at mercy of ruling government at center. Jai Hind.

12930 - Woman Delivers Baby outside Gurgaon Hospital - Denied Admission for not having Aadhaar Card

Denied Entry Over Aadhaar, Woman Delivers Baby Outside Gurgaon Hospital NDTV When we reached there, the staff there asked for my wife's Aadhaar card for admission," Arun Kewat, the woman's husband said. ... "A lady doctor and some nurses present at the labour ward demanded a hard copy of the Aadhaar card and said that she would be admitted only on presenting the card. No Aadhaar, Gurgaon hospital turns away woman, she gives birth right outside - The Indian Express Woman sans Aadhaar forced to give birth at hospital gate - Daily Pioneer No Aadhaar, woman delivers at Gurugram hospital gate - Times of India Full Coverage

12929 - Denied Entry Over Aadhaar, Woman Delivers Baby Outside Gurgaon Hospital - NDTV

Denied Entry Over Aadhaar, Woman Delivers Baby Outside Gurgaon Hospital

The staff allegedly came to Munni's rescue only after she had delivered the baby and there was blood all over the floor, Ram Singh, a relative of the woman said.

Gurgaon | Press Trust of India | Updated: February 10, 2018 06:39 IST

The family took the woman to the casualty ward, where they were allegedly denied entry. (PTI)

GURGAON:  A woman today delivered her baby outside the emergency ward of a civil hospital after the staff allegedly denied her admission into the labour ward for not carrying her Aadhaar card, her family members said.

After the incident came to light, Gurgaon Chief Medical Officer Dr BK Rajora said a doctor and a staff nurse were suspended from duty.

"We have started an internal inquiry to find if other employees were involved," Dr Rajora added.

The patient, identified as Munni Kewat, a 25-year-old woman, was taken to the hospital by her husband and others after she experienced labour pain this morning.

"We reached the hospital at around 9 am and went to the casualty ward. The staff directed us to go to the labour ward. When we reached there, the staff there asked for my wife's Aadhaar card for admission," Arun Kewat, the woman's husband said.

Mr Kewat claimed he offered to give them the Aadhaar number as he was not carrying the physical card, and said he would provide a copy of the card later.

"A lady doctor and some nurses present at the labour ward demanded a hard copy of the Aadhaar card and said that she would be admitted only on presenting the card. I asked my relatives to stay with my wife and went to get a printout of the card," he said.

The family then took the woman to the casualty ward, where they were denied entry, Ram Singh, a relative of the woman said.

"I went with Munni to the casualty ward but the staff did not allow her to sit there. They threw us out. Munni was already in severe labour pain and delivered the baby on the floor outside the gate of emergency ward," Mr Singh added.

The entire episode was being filmed by other patients, but the hospital staff did not bother to come to her help, the relative said.

The staff allegedly came to Munni's rescue only after she had delivered the baby and there was blood all over the floor, Mr Singh added.

After her ordeal was over, the family members protested against the inhuman treatment meted out to the woman by the hospital staff and demanded strict action against them, following which a doctor and a nurse were suspended.

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12928 - Aadhaar flaw: LIC agent alleges human rights violation in Kerala - New Indian Express

Aadhaar flaw: LIC agent alleges human rights violation in Kerala

By George Poikayil   |  Express News Service  |   Published: 10th February 2018 01:07 AM  |  

KASARGOD: In what could be another flaw in the all-pervasive Aadhaar, a resident has found his thumb impressions did not match the ones saved on the server of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). But what is worse is he is not able to update the biometric data. “The problem I am facing is unique and causing lots of inconvenience to me,” said Vijayan B, 46, an LIC agent in Karaduka grama panchayat.

He wrote to the Prime Minister and UIDAI. “The authority replied saying it has updated the biometric data. But there is no change,” he said. According to Vijayan, he found out the mismatch in his biometric data when he tried to buy a Reliance Jio SIM in July 2017. “I was denied the mobile connection because my thumb impression did not match the one in the UIDAI data bank,” he said.

Vijayan then approached the Akshaya Centre at Cherkala to update the biometric data. But it could not. “The staff says they do not know what to do now,” he said. 

Not to give up, he wrote to the authority and the PMO in August 2017. UIDAI deputy director Mahesh M Hervatte from the Regional Office in Bengaluru wrote back saying, “It is informed the updation/ correction in Aadhaar has been carried out successfully.”

However, it mentions he may try alternatives such as iris or one-time password authentication. But the LIC agent said the data was not updated. “And iris or OTP authentication was not available to buy a new SIM,” he said. 

It could be a technical glitch, but the inability of UIDAI to resolve it is scary, said Vijayan, who had enrolled for the unique ID in the early days of the scheme 10 years ago.

“Now that the government is linking every other service and product to Aadhaar, the inability to resolve my problem is a violation of human rights,” he said.The LIC agent has now taken up the matter with the State Human Rights Commission. “I did not know where else to knock,” he said.