STILL IN A QUANDARY

IT WAS not surprising that the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the biometric identity system though it cut the exercise to size. Considering that the government had already spent a colossal sum on its implementation, despite it being unconstitutional, one could not expect it to be binned in its entirety. Though the order is welcomed, ambiguity still overshadows its future course (“Aadhar cards not must for banks, phones, schools,” Sept. 27, The Gulf Today).

The government had pushed the system down the throats of citizens in such a frenzied manner that it wreaked havoc, so much so that some poor people even lost their lives. The Aadhaar card which was devised to make sure that Government Beneits REACH THE poor AND marginal is edi na more transparent fashion became a tool of distress. All this would have been unnecessary if the government had done its homework and not been in such a tearing hurry to link the card to all and sundry.

The Court verdict which clearly spikes the Aadhaar card as all-purpose IDENTIICATION tool Is A RELIEF In that sense, but the question that still remains unresolved is what happens to the data which the telecom and other private entities mined from us? It is even more disturbing after various indicators pointed out that the data is proven to be insecure and prone to misuse.

There are mobile companies illegally holding biometric data of crores of users. Is there any guarantee that our data will be destroyed and not misused? Like me there must be many others who fear what will be happen to our data. I hope the competent authorities come clear on this. Rakesh Sudhir Dubai