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Supreme Court slams another govt bid for online surveillance, this time through UIDAI

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Supreme Court slams another govt bid for online surveillance, this time through UIDAI

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre for an explanation over a tender floated by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for creating a social media wing to counter “negative sentiments” on Aadhaar.

The UIDAI is the government agency which runs the Aadhaar scheme.

“You are trying to do indirectly what we told you cannot do directly,” a top court bench headed by CJI Dipak Misraand also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud observed.

The remarks came from Justice Chandrachud, reported the Economic Times (ET).

The court said the UIDAI’s proposal to hire a social media agency to monitor social media platforms was contrary to its earlier submissions.

“It (monitoring) is directly against the submissions made by the UIDAI during the hearing of the Aadhaar matters,” the bench said, adding that what the UIDAI was proposing was contrary to “what it had argued while seeking validity of Aadhaar”.

The UIDAI, during the hearing of a clutch of petitions challenging the validity of the Aadhaar scheme, had told the apex court that it did not want to monitor the online activities of citizens holding Aadhaar cards.

The court was hearing a petition moved by a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Mohua Moitra, alleging UIDAI has floated a tender to engage a private agency to track activities of people on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and GooglePlus.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Ms Moitra, told the court that the matter has serious implications as it infringes on the fundamental right to privacy of citizens, by the UIDAI.

Earlier this year, the government had to withdraw an earlier attempt to create a social media hub which would have trawled through social media accounts to give inputs to the government on how to “arouse nationalistic sentiments” and “mould public opinion”.

The top court had frowned at the move saying that it was an attempt to create a “surveillance state”. The government had then volunteered to withdraw the proposal inviting bids.

Justice DY Chandrachud, who is part of the five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar, said that the concerned ministry had issued a notification for creating a media hub to monitorcontent but it was withdrawn last month as per an assurance given by the centre to the Supreme Court.

Now, Moitra has drawn the court’s attention to the UIDAI inviting a fresh bid to create a social media wing. The wing will carry out online surveillance on people’s reactions to Aadhaar and respond appropriately.

The request for proposal (RFP) was floated by the UIDAI on July 18.

“This RFP has identical clauses,” Singhvi pointed out to the court.

“Despite the fact that the constitutional validity of the entire Aadhaar scheme is under challenge and its fate is to be decided by the top court… the respondents have issued the impugned RFP to identify ‘top detractors’ and ‘neutralise negative sentiments,’” her petition said.

“It is therefore clear that the respondents have no respect or regard for the proceedings before this court.” The petition alleged that it was an attempt to infringement of the right to privacy.

“Such an intrusive action on the part of the government, is not only without the authority of law, but brazenly infringes on the fundamental right to freedom of speech. Such an action of the government also violates the right of privacy. The UIDAI has decided to go ahead with the proposal despite the fact that a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the constitutional validity of Aadhaar scheme,” said Moitra’s petition.

The court then sought an explanation from Attorney General KKVenugopal on the UIDAI request for proposal. The court will hear the case again on September 11.

The Attorney General for India is requested to assist the court on that day, the bench said.

Cricket news

T20 World Cup: Co-host West Indies receives terror threat from Pakistan

Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Jonny Graves said that the safety and security of everyone at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is their number one priority.

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North Pakistan had issued a terror threat against the West Indies, who are co-hosting the T20 World Cup today, May 6. However, West Indies (CWI) assured the public that every safety measure has been done.

The Caribbean islands have received warnings about possible terror threats coming from North Pakistan, according to a trustworthy source with firsthand knowledge of the circumstances. From June 1 to June 29, the US and the West Indies will host the T20 World Cup.

World Cup matches in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago will take place in the West Indies. In addition, there are matches in the US cities of Florida, New York, and Texas; however, there appears to be no danger to the games in the US. Barbados will host the final after the two semifinals are held in Trinidad and Guyana.

A source said that they are closely monitoring the situation and maintaining close communication with relevant authorities. Continuous evaluation of security measures is underway to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any identified risks, they added.

The severity of the problem has increased with the assignment of blame for the danger to IS Khorasan. Trinidad Prime Minister Keith Rowley said that security forces have protocols in place to handle any threats to matches.

As per the report, the Barbados regional security officials are monitoring potential threats to the ICC event in addition to the fact that intelligence of a potential threat to the World Cup has been received through Pro-Islamic State (Daesh) through the media group Nashir Pakistan.

Regarding India, the Men in Blue will face off against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York in their season-opening match. On June 9, they will play their next game at the same location against their bitter rivals, Pakistan. The team captained by Rohit Sharma will play the United States in their subsequent game in New York, and then they will play Canada in their last group-stage encounter at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

PM Modi says expiry date of BJD government in Odisha is June 4

The prime minister was addressing an election rally in Odisha’s Behrampur. The state of Odisha is going to Assembly as well as general elections simultaneously starting May 13.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that 2 Yagya are taking place together in Odisha – one to form a government in India and the other in the state. He was confident that the BJP will form the double-engine government in Odisha for the first time. The prime minister was addressing an election rally in Odisha’s Behrampur. The state of Odisha is going to Assembly as well as general elections simultaneously starting May 13. The counting of votes of both elections is going to take place on June 4.

PM Modi added that enthusiasm of the people shows that the double-engine government is going to be formed in Odisha for the first time. He further asserted that BJP does what it says. Therefore, after forming the government here, they will implement the declarations made in the manifesto with full force and this is Modi’s guarantee.

The prime minister further added that the expiry date of the BJD government in Odisha is written as June 4.  He said the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate for Odisha will be decided on 6th June. PM Modi predicted that the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP Chief Minister will be held in Bhubaneswar on June 10. He said today he had come to invite the people of Odisha to the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister of the BJP government in the state.

PM Modi attacked Congress and Naveen Patnaik’s BJD and said that the people of the rich state have remained poor and both the parties are responsible for it. He said in Odisha, it was Congress for around 50 years, and BJD for around 25 years. The prime minister said everyone has seen the result. He added Odisha has a fertile land, mineral resources, sea coasts, a trade centre like that of Berhampur, culture, heritage and still, the people of this rich Odisha have remained poor. He asked who is responsible for this sin? The answer is Congress and BJD.

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India News

ED raids Jharkhand minister’s secretary, recovers Rs 20 crore from house help

Jharkhand minister’s secretary raided by ED, huge amount of cash recovered.

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The Enforcement Directorate on Monday, May 6, started conducting raids at several Ranchi sites, including the home of Sanjiv Lal, the minister for Jharkhand Alamgir Alam’s personal secretary. A substantial sum of money, estimated to be between Rs 20 to Rs 30 crore, was taken from Sanjiv Lal’s house help.

The majority of the money is in notes worth Rs 500, and authorities have also found some jewellery with it.

Alamgir Alam who is the minister for Rural Development in Jharkhand. The 70-year-old Congress leader serves as the legislator for the Pakur seat in Jharkhand.

Video captured officers from the central investigation unit removing bundles of banknotes from suitcases in a room.

In its investigation into reported corruption in Jharkhand’s rural development department, the ED has made headway. The chief engineer of the department, Virendra Ram, was taken into custody in February 2023 in relation to a money laundering case involving possible anomalies in the execution of government projects.

In November 2019, the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed a formal complaint after apprehending junior engineer Suresh Prasad Verma for receiving a bribe. A substantial quantity of cash was found in a Verma-owned home that his cousin Alok Ranjan, who is connected to Virendra Ram, was occupying during the ACB’s investigation.

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