Aadhaar has prompted fears of state surveillance on individual privacy, violating human rights: Amnesty, HRW

By A Representative
Two of the world's top human rights organizations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (AI and HRW) , in a joint statement, have thrown their weight behind those opposing aadhaar, saying, the Government of India’s "mandatory biometric identification project, aadhaar, could lead to millions of people being denied access to essential services and benefits in violation of their human rights."
Especially referring to the Tribune expose, which said that "unrestricted access to the personal details of people enrolled in Aadhaar could be purchased for Rs 500 (less than US$10) from racketeers", in a joint statement, the two organizations demand, "The government should order an independent investigation of the concerns raised about aadhaar, and cease targeting journalists and researchers who expose vulnerabilities in security, privacy, and protection of data."
The statement, which comes ahead of a five-judge bench scheduled to initiate final arguments on the legality of aadhaar on January 17, says, "The large-scale collection of personal and biometric data, and linking it to a range of services, raises serious concerns about violations of the right to privacy", underlining, the aadhaar project, begun in 2009, "was initially meant to be voluntary, aimed at eliminating fraud in government welfare programmes and giving people a form of identification".
They regret, the Aadhaar Act, 2016 and subsequent government notifications have "dramatically increased the scope of the project, making aadhaar enrollment mandatory for people to access a range of essential services and benefits, including government subsidies, pensions and scholarships. It has also been linked to services such as banking, insurance, telephone, and the internet."
AI and HRW note, "Shops providing subsidized foodgrains as part of the government’s public distribution system to people living in poverty have denied supplies to eligible families because they did not have an aadhaar number, or because they had not linked it to their ration cards – which confirm their eligibility, or because the authentication of their biometrics such as fingerprints failed."

Giving the example Rajasthan, the two organisations say, "Between September 2016 and June 2017, after aadhaar authentication was made mandatory, at least 2.5 million families were unable to get food rations", adding, though in October 2017, the Central government instructed states not to deny subsidized food grains to eligible families merely because they did not have an aadhaar number, or had not linked their ration cards to it, "reports of denied benefits continue."
"Hospitals in Haryana state insist on newborn babies being enrolled in Aadhaar before giving them birth certificates. Aadhaar numbers are also demanded to issue death certificates... Many persons with disabilities have been denied benefits because they were unable to obtain aadhaar numbers", they note.
Raising the privacy issue, quoting experts, AI and HRW say, "Companies could store biometric data at the time of enrollment or authentication for a transaction, and biometric data once stolen is compromised forever", insisting, the government’s push for mandatory enrollment for aadhaar has "prompted fears of increased state surveillance, with the convergence of various databases making it easier for the government to track all information about specific individuals, and to target dissent".
Alleging the government has not even set up "an adequate or effective grievance redressal system", they say, "Aadhaar regulations allow the government to deactivate an aadhaar number for various reasons including for 'any other case requiring deactivation as deemed appropriate' by the UIDAI, leaving the broad wording open to misuse."
"Also", AI and HRW say, "The government is not required to give any prior notice before deactivating an aadhaar number, which could violate natural justice principles and also put access to essential services at risk... Between 2010 and 2016, the government deactivated 8.5 million aadhaar numbers, saying it was for reasons provided for under the law."

Comments

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog