-Caravan Magazine Since the Aadhaar programme, which aims to provide Indian citizens with unique identification numbers, was launched in 2009, several petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court that oppose its application by the government. These petitions have challenged the Aadhaar programme on various grounds: the government’s right to ask the citizens to provide biometric data for Aadhaar verification without adequate safeguards against its potential misuse; the legality of the...

-The Indian Express The apex court had earlier permitted voluntary use of Aadhaar cards in social welfare schemes such as LPG subsidy, PDS, MGNREGA, pension schemes and provident fund. New Delhi: THE SUPREME Court Thursday declined to expedite hearing of Aadhaar cases challenging the constitutional validity of the initiative but observed that data collection by private agencies might not be “a great idea”. Chief Justice of India J S Khehar made the remarks...

-The Hindu Personal data of 1.5 crore PDS beneficiaries laid bare without password protection Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government may have compromised the privacy of Public Distribution System beneficiaries, by making available their personal information online. Personal data such as monthly income, electoral card details, consumer numbers of power and cooking gas connections of 1.5 crore residents were published on the Civil Supplies website, throwing open the possibility of misuse by private companies and...

-Hindustan Times New Delhi: The government will keep a record of all the services and benefits availed using the Aadhaar number for seven years, say new rules, prompting fears that the database could be used for surveillance. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues the 12-digit biometric identity to all Indian residents, will be required to preserve its record of verification of an Aadhaar number for the duration. “This is an...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The government may soon require all NGOs registered or granted prior permission to receive foreign funds under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, to allow the Centre to access details of their FCRA accounts in real time. According to amendments proposed by the Union home ministry to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules (FCRR), 2011, the NGOs may give the consent in writing at the time of...