Seqrite report: UIDAI says no breach of database, repository

NEW DELHI: The Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI on Wednesday said there has been no security breach of its database or central repository following a report by a security firm that a hacker had placed information of over 6,000 Indian entities up for sale.

“The supposed incident related to the claimed breach of information from IRINN (Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers) does not contain any confidential data of UIDAI and has not affected any services provided by the authority,” the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said in a statement.

It asserted that there has been no security breach of either its database or Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR).

Seqrite Cyber Intelligence Labs, a unit of Bse-listed Quick Heal Technologies, had yesterday said it tracked an advertisement that claims to have “secret access” to database dump of over 6,000 Indian entities, including government agencies and private organisations.

“As such these details are already present in the public domain and the information available on the Darknet doesn t provide any sensitive or confidential information and has no potential affect as such visa-vis the UIDAI,” the authority added. Terming its security controls and protocols as “robust”, the authority said the system was capable of countering attempts or malicious designs of data breach or hacking.

“Security of Aadhaar is of critical importance to the Government and UIDAI has given it paramount significance,” it said. NEW DELHI: Emphasizing that implementation of noble goals in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) would be successful only when SAARC countries present a united front, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that collective efforts of all countries in South Asia, which is a home to about one fourth of the world population, would help in making SAARC an abode of peace, progress and prosperity.

Addressing the delegates at the 8th Conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians in Colombo, Mahajan called upon SAARC countries to join hands for the prosperity of SAARC.

The Speaker opined that the global success of the SDGS is heavily dependent on their successful implementation in the SAARC countries. Quoting the adage ‘poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere’, Mahajan said that India has sincerely chosen the path of removing poverty by empowering the poor.

Mahajan also said that there are several shining examples of community-driven efforts in India especially in the area of rainwater harvesting, water conservation and cleanliness to make positive changes in the ground realities.

In this context, she shared with the progress of her own hometown Indore, which had been declared as the ‘cleanest city in India’.

“This has been possible only through voluntary public participation, cooperation, and active involvement of people’s representatives and implementing agencies,” Mahajan said. NEW DELHI: A special court here has granted six weeks to the CBI to submit its arguments seeking closure of a corruption case against Union Minister Maneka Gandhi and two others for sanctioning Rs 50 lakh grant to a trust allegedly in a fraudulent manner in 2001. Special Judge Sunil Rana allowed a CBI plea seeking time to file written submissions, certain judgments in support of its closure report and against a protest petition against that report filed by the complainant.

The court allowed the CBI’S plea for adjournment and posted the matter for December 14 after the application was not objected to by the complainant.

The CBI’S report seeking closure of the case was last year opposed by complainant V M Singh, who had filed a protest petition against agency’s report.

The court had in 2008 refused to accepted the closure report filed by the probe agency and asked the CBI to further investigate the matter.

However, the CBI had again approached the court, saying the “allegations levelled against Gandhi and two others could not be substantiated”.

An FIR was lodged by CBI in 2006 against Maneka Gandhi, now the Women and Child Development Minister, Dr F

Terming its security controls and protocols as “robust”, the Authority said the system was capable of countering attempts or malicious designs of data breach or hacking

U Siddiqui, former secretary of Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) and Dr Vijay Sharma, former Managing Trustee of Gandhi Rural Welfare Trust (GRWT).

The FIR had alleged that Gandhi, in conspiracy with Siddiqui, had sanctioned a grant of Rs 50 lakh to GRWT from MAEF in an irregular manner to construct a nursing college building at Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh and caused undue favour to Sharma.

CBI had alleged that another amount of Rs 10.40 lakh was sanctioned to GRWT by S K Verma, the then District Magistrate of Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, from Gandhi’s MPLADS (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) funds for purchase of two ambulances. The fund was released to GRWT Managing Trustee Ramakant Rampal.

The agency had filed a closure report, saying “during the course of further investigation, the allegations levelled against Maneka Gandhi, Dr F U Siddiqui and Dr Vijay Sharma could not be substantiated.”

In its closure report, CBI said the trust had purchased two jeeps with ambulance fixtures on September 15, 2003 for Rs 9,85,008, while the balance amount was returned to the government exchequer as per the terms of sanction.