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

Friday, January 10, 2014

4980 - MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar Questions Use Of Biometric Authentication In Card Payment Units -Medianama





Reserve Bank of India had advised all banks to include biometric sensor in all new credit card swiping machines and to improve their existing infrastructure to enable use of Aadhaar-based biometric authentication while making  card-based payments.  MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar has now questioned the move and raised several questions in a letter addressed to RBI Governor, Dr Raghuram Rajan.

The RBI circular follows a recommendation by a working group on Securing Card Present Transactions in 2011.

Highlights from the letter
-  Starting such a massive programme to link bank accounts to the Aadhaar database will involve huge, additional costs. These will eventually be passed on to customers / bank depositors.
- All new biometric-based machines will need to have facilities to scan biometrics, which will significantly increase investment cost — for both installation and operation.
-  Added expenditure for banks as the new machines will require the equivalent of 3G data speeds to transmit biometric data. Aadhaar has, so far, made no mention of who will bear the cost of biometric PoS readers and ATMs.
- Such a proposal, without adequate capital for such massive infrastructure requirements, will result in a high cost burden for the entire banking system.
- Even though several banks launched biometric authentication in ATMs between 2004 and 2007, it did not work and its implementation has so far proved costly for banks as well as the customers.
- The purpose of Aadhaar number should be to reduce the costs of the final customers, and bringing them within the institutional banking framework. Yet, there are constant complaints by many bankers that the technology costs are extremely high, and must be borne by the customer
- Reconsider this proposal – in the interest of the millions of banking consumers — present and future – and ensure their interests are safeguarded.
- Aadhaar programme has not provided the costs of the biometric readers. This implies that the UIDAI hopes to pass off theses costs to the banks.
-  Banks have to pay UIDAI for verification and authorisation of every transaction and the final burden for this will be on the shoulders of the common man.

Here’s the full letter
Sub: Cost of banking to customers
I write to you with regard to the RBI’s recent circular on 02 September, 2013 stipulating banks to introduce additional facilities in all new credit card swipe (Point of Sale or PoS) machines and automated Teller Machines (ATMs) for providing a mechanism for Aadhaar authentication using biometrics.
While the intended purpose of greater financial inclusion is honorable, starting such a massive programme to link bank accounts to the Aadhaar database will involve huge, additional costs. These will eventually be passed on to customers / bank depositors.
The country currently has 1.2 lakh ATMs and 10.30 lakh  card swiping /PoS machines. Over 2 lakh PoS and 20,000 ATMs expected to be added by next year. All these new biometric-based machines will need to have facilities to scan biometrics, which will significantly increase investment cost — for both installation and operation. Additionally, it has been reported that traditional phone lines may not work to send scanned fingerprint images for verification. This will pose an added expenditure for banks as the new machines will require the equivalent of 3G data speeds to transmit biometric data. Aadhaar has, so far, made no mention of who will bear the cost of biometric PoS readers and ATMs.
Further, while the RBI has adopted  a combination of ‘chip and pin’ authentication for existing customers and biometric checks for unbanked cardholders, the real challenge is in the acceptance devices. The procurement of new equipment to facilitate these biometric checks have huge cost implications for the banks, who will ultimately transfer the burden on to the customers. Banks will ultimately have to divert funds for developing these businesses to facilitate new infrastructure. Banks, who are already reeling under the burden of high operating costs, and customers, who are already burdened by the array of “convenience charges” imposed by banks for online transfers, SMS-alerts etc., are understandably vary of the implications of this proposal.
While there is a need for much stronger authentication mechanism and customer security — such a proposal, without adequate capital for such massive infrastructure requirements, will result in a high cost burden for the entire banking system – which will ultimately have to be borne by the hundreds of millions of account holders in the country.
Additionally, even though Aadhaar-based authentication was launched by several banks through biometric ATMs between 2004 and 2007, it did not work and its implementation has so far proved costly for banks as well as the customers. The ATMs could not authenticate the biometrics of many underprevilaged citizens, and therefore, had to be discarded. Therefore, there is a need to conduct adequate feasibility tests before such a proposal is implemented.
The purpose of Aadhaar number should be to reduce the costs of the final customers, and bringing them within the institutional banking framework. Yet, there are constant complaints by many bankers that the technology costs are extremely high, and must be borne by the customer. Further, the Aadhaar programme has not provided the costs of the biometric readers, which is essential for the delivery of these services to the people. This implies that the UIDAI hopes to pass off theses costs to the banks. Also, it has been brought to my knowledge, through various media reports, that the banks have to pay UIDAI for verification and authorisation of every transaction and that this revenue is a part of the business plan. The final burden for this will be on the shoulders of the common man.
Therefore, in the interest of millions of banking consumers, and especially in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Aadhaar card, I urge you to reconsider this proposal – in the interest of the millions of banking consumers — present and future – and ensure their interests are safeguarded.
Yours Sincerely
Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Download the letter here (.pdf)