-TheWire.in We need to reboot the aadhaar debate, starting on the right terms: why do we want to create a centralised biometric database of Indian residents? A recent article, ‘Identification simplified, myths busted’, by Piyush Peshwani and Bhuwan Joshi (hereafter, Peshwani & Joshi) makes some questionable claims about the UID project. Peshwani & Joshi’s strategy appears to be to ignore those questions to which they do not have an answer (e.g., that...

-The Hindu Business Line Last week, the aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016 was passed by the Lok Sabha. Earlier in the week, the Bill was returned by the Rajya Sabha with five key amendments, but these were turned down and the LS passed it as a Money Bill. What is it? The aadhaar Bill plans to use the identification number issued by the Unique Identification...

-Business Standard Dr A B P Pandey, Director General and Mission Director of UIDAI speaks to Nitin Sethi on how the efficacy of aadhaar will be monitored and what challenges it faces as it reaches the 100 crore enrolment mark. * Challenges now that the law is in place… Once the law is notified, then one be the procedural challenge. Government will have to notify necessary rules under the law and UIDAI will...

-The Pioneer Raipur: Chhattisgarh State Assembly on Saturday passed budget grant demands of Rs. 2248 crore for food, civil supplies, consumer protection, planning, village industry, economic statistic and twenty points programme implementation department with voice vote. The Government has announced in Assembly to increase the number of PDS outlets across the State. Answering a discussion on budget demand proposals for the various departments, Food Minister Punnulal Mohle informed that around Rs. 2099.93 crore...

-The Hindu The aadhaar Bill has been passed with no public consultation about the privacy safeguards necessary for such a database and no provision for public or independent oversight. The rights to liberty and freedom of expression cannot survive if the right to privacy is compromised. The Central government has forced the aadhaar Bill through Parliament in a week. aadhaar has had an invasive and controversial presence well before the government’s attempt...