The AADHAAR and Right to Privacy issue came under the radar when the AADHAAR card details and bank account details of over 13 crore people was leaked from various websites.
The government also accepted that more than 200 websites were publicly displaying the AADHAAR card details of the citizens.
Currently, a nine-judge bench inside the Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the debatable issue of whether Right to Privacy is a Fundamental Right under the Constitution or not; a key question linked to the AADHAAR debate as claimed by some petitioners.
#Pune365 talked to a cross section of people to know about their take on this burning issue dealing with the privacy of an individual.
Pushkar Joshi : I don’t think there is any violation of Right to Privacy. Linkage of AADHAAR to various platforms simplifies accessibility. One should promote transparency. Moreover, if no fraudulent activities are practiced, there shouldn’t be any problem in being transparent.
Sanjay Danait : AADHAAR is necessary but we also need a robust data privacy and data protection law. At present, India doesn’t have any. In today’s digital world, your information can be spread and used by unwanted people. Asking AADHAAR card for bank accounts, IT returns, and for many other purposes can certainly prove dangerous for any individual’s privacy.
Sanjay Joshi : I don’t know whether privacy is a fundamental right or not but I do think it is infringement upon our privacy. Moreover, I think it’s a surveillance tool to keep an eye on the public.
Ankit Gohel: No. I don’t think the AADHAAR card system is violating our privacy as far as our information is in the safe hands of our government. This bio-metric system provides all necessary information about the citizens living in India, which is very crucial for the government to know. Also, the JAM Yojna, which is to link Jan Dhan bank accounts, AADHAAR and mobile number will be very beneficial for the financial inclusion of the poor. But the government will have to stress upon to improve the cyber security system in the country.
Joseph Pinto: Yes, I do think AADHAAR infringes our fundamental Right to Privacy. This is because none of the information on the card is verified or cross-checked. Currently, anyone can misuse my AADHAAR card number and conduct transactions on my behalf. The worst of all is that the government/private agencies can abuse the AADHAAR card system to spy on me.
Jawed Khan: AADHAAR is crucial for maintaining records of the citizens for the country’s safety and to check for tax evasion since it is now linked to our PAN cards and bank accounts. Our constitution says that this right is not absolute but flexible. But a few days back the AADHAAR details of MS Dhoni was leaked by an employee working in the AADHAAR card centre. So, unless a concrete system is in place that guarantee our security, of course we run a risk of our Right to Privacy being violated.
#All views expressed in this column are the individual respondents and Pune365 does not necessarily subscribe to them.
Reach her at loveleen@pune365.com or tweet @KaurKaur18
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