iGyaan Network

Tag: Supreme Court

  • Aadhaar Linking With Phone Numbers/Bank Accounts Not Mandatory

    Aadhaar Linking With Phone Numbers/Bank Accounts Not Mandatory

    Supreme court has extended the timeline to update Aadhaar details indefinitely. The new order from SC says that “The government cannot insist for mandatory Aadhaar even for the issuance of Tatkal passport.”

    Ignore any messages from your telecom operators to link Aadhaar with your mobile number. Similarly, also ignore messages and calls from e-wallet services and banks, regarding the linking of Aadhar.

    The interim order from SC also says that Aadhaar is still mandatory to receive govt subsidies. However, this will depend on the five-judge bench which will consider the different petitions, that challenges the constitutional validity of Aadhar.

    What is Aadhaar?

    Aadhar, the unique identification number allotted and maintained by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Similarly, it is the largest database of private information including fingerprints, and iris scans of billions of Indians. The database also includes pictures, addresses and private information of all the individuals registered on the database.

    Security frailty of Aadhaar

    130 Million records of the Aadhaar number were reportedly breached in Q1 of 2017, while UIDAI had claimed that they had rectified the breach. The data of this leak was already out on the Internet, available as access records for the millions of accounts.

    A journalist claims to have bought access to a User Name and Password that allowed him unrestricted access to details of the more than 1 billion Aadhaar numbers. This was provided in less than 10 minutes over a WhatsApp chat, after a PayTM transfer of a mere Rs. 500.

  • Supreme Court Rules in Favour of Cutting Internet Access when ‘Neccessary’

    Supreme Court Rules in Favour of Cutting Internet Access when ‘Neccessary’

    The Supreme Court of India today ruled that it is ok for districts and states to cut access to mobile internet for a limited time to prevent law and order problems in the country. It basically allows the State to use its curfew powers to block internet access during public agitation that can turn aggressive and disturb the public.

    The case was first brought to the court’s notice by student activist Gaurav Sureshbhai Vyas who challenged the police’s right to ban internet services last year for 63 million users in Gujrat during the Patinder agitation as a way to check unfounded rumours.

    Vyas’ petition also contended that a complete ban would restrict the citizen’s right to free speech. However, The senior judge who ruled in favour of the ban said that “It becomes very necessary sometimes for law and order.”

    The PIL said that while internet services cannot be shut down completely, the access to it can be restricted. The decision to ban internet services when “necessary” puts a serious issue of free speech into question on the one hand. On the other hand, the move is natural for a government that wants to control violent situations from getting worse. The Supreme Court also stated that the ban will only block mobile internet service and not Wi-Fi and broadband services

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