Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Aadhaar architect Nilekani supports mandatory linking

- Sarika Malhotra sarika.malhotra@htlive.com HT Correspond­ent letters@hindustant­imes.com

nothing wrong in making Aadhaar mandatory for PAN cards or other public services, Nandan Nilekani said on Thursday, defending the government’s decision to expand the use of a controvers­ial biometric ID project he helped create.

The 61-year-old appeared to row back on his previous position on the use of 12-digit ID, which is supposed to cut fraud in distributi­on of state benefits, but which critics see as vulnerable to data breaches.

As Unique Identifica­tion Authority of India’s first chief, he rolled out Aadhaar a decade ago, insisting its use would not be mandatory.

››P10

A Shiv Sena MP on Thursday repeatedly hit an elderly Air India officer with slippers in a burst of fury over being unable to travel business class on a Pune-Delhi flight.

Angry after AI allegedly changed his seat from business to economy class, Lok Sabha MP Ravindra Gaikwad slapped and hit 60-year-old R Sukumar with his slippers 25 times.

AI said the personal secretary of the MP, who was booked in business class, was informed that the flight had been changed to economy. But he reached Pune airport and boarded the plane.

The airline filed a complaint against the Sena MP, who has been asked for an explanatio­n by his party. ››P10

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Ravindra Gaikwad
Ravindra Gaikwad
 ??  ?? Nandan Nilekani
Nandan Nilekani

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