Aadhaar Safe or Not? UIDAI to Solve Concerns Via PPT! Centre Seeks SC Nod
A bench said there are several technical aspects related to the Aadhaar scheme such as the surveillance, data security and exclusion of certain people from receiving benefits for the want of either authentication or the lack of Aadhaar number.
New Delhi, March 21: In wake of the growing concerns over Aadhaar security, the government on Wednesday sought permission of the Supreme Court to allow the CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for a PowerPoint presentation on Aadhaar scheme in the court.
Chief Justice Dipak Misra, hearing a number of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar and its enabling Act, said he will fix the time for the presentation after discussing the matter with other judges of the five-judge constitution bench he is heading.
As per reports by PTI, the bench said there are several technical aspects related to the Aadhaar scheme such as the surveillance, data security and exclusion of certain people from receiving benefits for the want of either authentication or the lack of Aadhaar number.
Arguing for the Centre, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal said the UIDAI chief executive may deal with technical aspects with more clarity. He said the Fundamental Rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution have two aspects. “One deals with rights like Right to Food and Right to Education and the other pertains to Freedom of Conscience and Right to Privacy”, Venugopal added.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court took note of the submission that a person cannot be asked to part with personal information under the Aadhaar scheme on the ground of freedom of right to religion, and asked can a person refuse to follow the law in secular matters such as filing of income-tax returns.
As per reports by PTI, the constitution bench was told that a boy was denied admission in a school after his father refused to give biometric details for Aadhaar on grounds that their religion does not permit it. “In secular matters, can you say that I will not opt for it. For example, can a person refuse to opt for the Income-Tax saying that his conscience does not allow it,” the bench added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2018 05:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).