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UIDAI Continues to Lie About the Sham ID called, "Aadhaar"
The CEO of UIDAI is either not aware of the facts or is distorting them by making false claims and comparing India's UID (which, is NOT unique) with SSN. SSN is NOT mandatory under the SSN Act. UIDAI is copying the SSN practices, without understanding it and without the purposes for which, SSN came into being. He says all this in an article in 'Indian Exp.ress' of 13 May 2017, under the heading, "Criticism without "Aadhaar".
SSN has a host of serious problems. UIDAI is importing these to India.
Worse, USA does not share the SSN database with foreign agencies. UIDAI contractually gives access to ALL UID / Sham ID (– because biometric identification is fallible, proven scientifically and mathematically) to foreign firms and they are authorized by contract to do whatever they like with it!
In justification of the Sham ID / "Aadhaar" Scheme, the UIDAI CEO makes false claims of huge savings though use of the Sham ID.
He says that “fakes and ghosts” in welfare databases have been eliminated by this.
Who created the so-called “fakes and Ghosts” and entered these into the databases? Why is it that no investigation has been done by any department in the past several decades into theft of welfare funds? How has UIDAI and government arrived at the Sham ID solution without such investigation? Is there any rationale for it? Where is the "Aadhaar" of "Aadhaar"?
Its basis, "Aadhaar" is unique ID by use of biometrics. Can the UIDAI CEO explain how 80 million fakes or duplicates were found (mentioned in counter affidavit to my writ in Supreme Court) in about 800 million enrolments? Does he know about False Positive Matches? Does he know the error rate of his Sham ID / "Aadhaar" Scheme?
Why has the Real ID Act of 2005 still not been implemented in USA?
Why did THE UK scrap the National ID Card Act? Is he aware that the THE UK’s health database was brought down just two days back by ransom-ware?
The UIDAI CEO would like to debate the Sham ID / "Aadhaar" Scheme. I challenge him through your newspapers columns to such and public debate. Could he organize one on TV?
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PM's "Great Leap" Backwards
The former Chairman of the Communist Party of China, Mao Zedong's "Great Leap" led his nation into the Great Famine between 1959 and 1961. There are varying estimates of the death caused by the famine. One estimate puts it at 36 million.
In a similar way, our equivalent Chairman, called here PM has taken the country on an Indian "Great Leap". It is termed "Demonetisation" and the ostensible purpose is to purge the Nation of black money.
The PM cannot be expected to know the intricacies of national finance, even though he had four terms as CM of Gujarat, but one would certainly expect him to ask a few questions to understand the proposals before he gives the ‘go ahead’.
It does not require much acumen to see that demonetisation will not achieve anything, let alone reducing black money.
Firstly, the vast proportion of black money is in foreign accounts.
Secondly it is in properties.
Thirdly, political parties would / should know who has it, simply because they receive contributions in cash from those who have it.
Yet, he took the risk and responsibility all on himself. He tried to paint a picture of himself as a patriotic fighter against black money.
Hence, the sudden announcement on TV and a speech full of rhetoric.
There was no need at all for any secrecy. In fact, if sufficient time had been given for exchanging the notes those with unaccounted wealth would have become complacent and exchanged huge sums. These could easily be tracked and the culprits caught.
Even if the decision itself is a monumental blunder, the management of demonetisation is even worse.
How many victims would Chairman Modi claim as did the unfortunate victims of Chairman Mao’s – only time will tell.
One can only pray for the souls who would die of starvation and other causes directly as a result of ill-advised and ill-thought decision.
I am reading a book titled, “On the Psychology of Military Incompetence” by Norman Dixon. Indian demonetisation in 2016 would have given him interesting material if he wished to write on political and bureaucratic incompetence!
Here is a view point as expressed in the ‘Economic Times’ which, echoes my sentiments on the issue.
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UIDAI's RTI Merry-go-round
The man behind the UIDAI and UIDAI itself claims transparency as virtues to be instilled in others, while pretending they are most transparent.
This is yet another of the systematic practice of deceit which, UIDAI has turned in a fine art of obfuscation.
Here is the story of a typical RTI merry-go-round by UIDAI.
News is often planted or leaked that "Aadhaar Platform" is open for "Application Development".
No one knows where the so-called "Aadhaar Platform" is and whether any train goes there!
When queried under RTI what are the applications being developed, which are the agencies allowed to do so and a copy of any contracts with such organisations, UIDAI HQ in Delhi pleads ignorance. Yes, that's right. UIDAI HQ pretends that it has no info. It passess the buck to its "Authentication Division".
We may safely say that UIDAI has "good Christian" best practices - the right hand does not know what the left hand does.
Attached here are the RTI application seeking above information and UIDAI's reply forwarding the same to one of its own divisions.
RTI APPLICATION - APP Development
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Linking UID / Aadhaar & Voter IDs - A Whimsical Decision
The Election Commission of India (ECI) launched a program called, "Electoral Roll and Purification Authentication Programme" (NERPAP) on 3 Mar 2015. However, the decision to do so was announced by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in a press meet at Hyderabad on 14 Feb 2015. This was reported in 'The Hindu' (among other news media).
The Link to the news item in 'The Hindu' is here.
RTI queries were sent to ECI seeking the reasons for the decision and whether any studies or investigations were done by ECI to test the advantage of linking UID / Aadhaar numbers with voter IDs. ECI was also asked to furnish copies of any minutes of meetings in which this decision was taken.
Here is the RTI query. Here is the reply link.
ECI was further asked whether the 42nd Report Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Report
To this ECI replied stating that no study has been done, no meeting minutes are available and that the decision has been taken to set up NERPAP.
It is indeed strange that a Constitutional authority takes such momentous decisions affecting the entire people of the Nation in so cavalier a manner.
What could be done to make such functionaries to act in a more responsible way?
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Corporate Espionage in Oil Ministry
The news should not shock us. After all the Nira Radia tapes revealed a lot. Media made the right noises. Courts looked into it and all is well because it has ended well for those involved.
A corporate chieftain called the then government his shop.
The same corporate chiefs are seen with the top functionaries of the present government too. Have we not seen enough Global Investors Meets and the funds coming mainly from Mauritius.
Here is a link to NDTV panel discussion on the topic.