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SC pulls up Centre, U.P Government

Posted in Featured, S. Asia

Published on January 15, 2018 with No Comments

·          If No Aadhaar, Does Person Not Exist For Government

·      After Aadhaar expose, FIR against The Tribune, reporter, but blocks all officials from accessing Aadhaar portal

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has filed a case against The Tribune and its reporter Rachna Khaira with the Cyber Cell of the Crime Branch of Delhi Police over the Aadhaar data leak reports. The FIR has been registered against The Tribune newspaper, reporter Rachna Khaira, and three names (Anil Kumar, Sunil Kumar, and Raj) that were given to Khaira over WhatsApp by members of the anonymous group of sellers of Aadhaar access. On January 4, The Tribune reported how anonymous sellers over WhatsApp were providing access to Aadhaar data for a fee. The expose revealed that for a mere Rs 500 paid through Paytm, an agent of the group running the racket would provide a login ID and password for such access. Among the data available were the name, address, postal code, photo, phone number and email. However, while taking action against the paper and the reporter who exposed the weakness of the systmen the UIDAI has restricted the access of all designated officials – about 5,000 – to the Aadhaar portal. “All the privileges given to designated officers for access have been immediately withdrawn,” a leading daily from India quoted its source as saying.

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday pulled up the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government for not providing night shelters to the homeless who do not possess Aadhar cards. “How can a homeless person get an Aadhaar card? If he doesn’t have an Aadhaar card, he doesn’t exist in the eyes of the government?” the judges questioned.  The Supreme Court made the comments while hearing a case related not to Aadhaar, but to night-shelters for homeless people across the country in the deepening winter chill.   To the questions swirling around the Aadhaar or national identity cards, the Supreme Court  added a new one — if a homeless person doesn’t have it, will he not exist for the government? The court made the comments while hearing a case related not to the biometric identification system, but to night-shelters for homeless people across the country in the deepening winter chill. “How can a homeless person get an Aadhaar card? If he doesn’t have an Aadhaar card, he doesn’t exist in the eyes of the government?” the judges questioned.

This was when a lawyer representing the Uttar Pradesh government remarked that “some sort of identification like an Aadhaar” can be used while admitting people into the shelters. There are “other cards like the voter ID”, the lawyer replied, and received another tart reminder. “To get a voter I-card you need address proof. Where will one get address proof if he is homeless?” the court asked. The court wanted to know how many people have Aadhaar in the country.

Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing in the case, said “90 crore people” had the cards that the government says must be linked to bank accounts, welfare schemes and mobile phones.
The exchange on Aadhaar comes at a time the court is hearing a petition challenging the validity of Aadhaar and the government is facing questions on data security after a journalist with The Tribune newspaper reported that she could access personal details of over a billion citizens for just Rs. 500, paid through a digital wallet.

A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court will begin final hearing from 17 January on the validity of Aadhaar.

 

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