If you were waiting for the Indian government to slow down( or totally stop) with its pushing to bring Aadhaar biometric identity system into your lives, dont comprise your breath.
Started as an optional program, in the recent years, the government has upped the ante and has stimulated it mandatory to use Aadhar card in order to access other services.
As has been the case in the past, government decisions was instantly met with sharp criticism.
But the government is now elucidating that it wont be withdrawing its move, making its citizens yet another look at how it intends to move forward with its biometric system.
Indias Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in Lok Sabha this week that that the new bill to make it mandatory for every taxpayer to connect their unique 12 -digit code and biometric information will go into effect from July 1.
Addressing the criticism, Jaitley said the move will support the government in zero-in on citizens who dont pay taxes.
“Today 98 percentage citizens have Aadhaar. They can either give the Aadhaar number or mention that they have applied for Aadhaar but the government won’t allow them to evade tax, ” Jaitley said.
He added that Aadhaar could become the only identity card in the future, supplanting the existing voter ID card, and PAN card among others.
Though nobody is denying that the government should take actions against taxation evaders, it’s the way Aadhar is being implemented that irks many.
And there’s good reason to be skeptical about an Aadhaar card. The government will use the card to store a persons biometric data like fingerprints, iris data and other personal information.
And according to numerous its safety and privacy experts, Aadhaars infrastructure is prone to hacking and it’s amazingly easy to replicate the biometric information.
Hi @arunjaitley and @narendramodi, do you have an aadhaar number? How many of our MPs and MLAs have aadhaar numbers?
Nikhil Pahwa (@ nixxin) March 22, 2017
Got it. It is compulsorily mandatory to voluntarily get yourself an Aadhaar card.
Ramesh Srivats (@ rameshsrivats) March 22, 2017
Remember those good old days when Aadhaar was supposed to give ID to the unIDed mass? Now if you don’t have it, it* nullifies* your PAN.
Rohan Venkat (@ RohanV) March 22, 2017
Bottom line: The Government lied to us in Parliament when our Finance Min said this. #Aadhaar is NOT for subsidy& are delivered. pic.twitter.com/ KgD6 43 es0F
Meghnad (@ Memeghnad) March 22, 2017
WATCH: Indian startup is employing banana fibre to make inexpensive, biodegradable sanitary pads for women in need
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