Biometrics: Turning a “Citizen” into a “Subject”

The left-brain insanity of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results: pushing a technology instead of real solutions.

Part 1

Transcript: http://newsclick.in/india/biometrics-violation-fundamental-rights-and-tool-hands-government-agencies

Part 2

Transcript: http://newsclick.in/india/biometrics-turning-citizen-subject-usha-ramanathan-ii

In short

It appears that Nilekani, the co-founder and former chief executive of Infosys Technologies Ltd, India’s second largest software company, has misled the key functionaries of Government of India into believing that he is deeply concerned about reaching the poorest of the poor with a 16-digit card (4 numbers are hidden?) to liberate them from poverty.

This proposed UID legislation authorizes the creation of a centralized database of unique identification numbers that will be issued to every resident of India but has failed to provide for provisions that precludes abuse of such a database for invading citizens’ rights to privacy and freedom of choice by national and transnational corporations like Vedanta and IBM. The legislation poses one of gravest threat imaginable as far as citizens’ right is concerned. It will damage citizens’ sovereignty beyond repair and has the potential to cause holocaust like situation in future through profiling of minorities, political opponents and ethnic groups.

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