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Aadhaar vs Privacy: Two warnings from the US

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Aadhaar-PAN linkage: Finance ministry exempts residents of 3 states, the elderly, foreign citizens

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As the recent social security number hack, which exposed the data of 6,000 clients, demonstrates, leaks can spring from the unlikeliest of sources and, given the size of India’s population—plus the fact that UIDs are to be linked to tax returns and bank accounts, a much larger threat hangs on the citizen’s money as well as their security

By Sujit Bhar

The Aadhaar versus privacy issue that has been raging in India has had two warning echoes from the US. Both are scary, and if placed in the backdrop, the possibility of Aadhaar’s unique identity privacy breach doesn’t seem just a conspiracy theory any more.

The huge biometric database that the government of India is forming with the entire population of India coming under the umbrella can come out from strange sources, as the US example says.

Forbes has reported on May 10 that 6,000 Social Security Numbers (SSN) of American clients were unintentionally exposed by a London-based business finance provider firm that helps its clients bypass the banking system and hence its several  paraphernalia, to link with peer-to-peer funding. But the missing link and the expose came from another source, said Forbes. The company has admitted that “a misconfigured Amazon Web Services database exposed more than 13 million marketing email addresses for individuals,” Forbes reported.

SSNs in the US are an all-encompassing database that includes a huge number of data on the person, starting from tax returns to his security details and more. Details of all this will be available to anybody who can use these numbers on special networks (such as the police or the NSA) and may be able to use such data to adversely affect the person’s credibility and even security.

Aadhaar, will have, over and above, biometric details of the person, which are very critical in as far as security goes. With Aadhaar now being linked to PAN, tax filings would be within the grasp of a hacker, so will bank account details and whatever else comes within the purview of the UID.

Of the huge database glitch, Forbes says: “Additionally, private data sets Funding Circle had purchased from third parties and credit agencies including Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Powerlytics were left open.” Which means anybody who wanted to get data about these people need not even be hackers. It was being served on a platter to whosoever wanted to get hold of such information.

The scariest part of the entire episode was that the clients themselves had no hand in the breach, and it did not even happen at any place where they may have expected it to, such as their home computers or the IRS of the US.

With the internet’s extensive reach, such data from Aadhaar could also land with terrorists, who can use any identity to cover their tracks.

In another story, that appeared in Mashable, it was announced that all American airports would soon have face scanning as a must. This presents another set of data hacking opportunities. While the entire exercise is laudable for its intent, any auxiliary intent could be counter-productive, to say the least.

More importantly, a face scan means that this data will have biometric information, which is more critical. Biometric data is possibly the best way of identification these days and Aadhaar has such information in plenty.  One biometric scan in any airport anywhere in the world would leave an Indian citizen open to scams.

There is need for a lot of caution regarding collecting public data and in a country as disorganised as India, this should be treated even more carefully.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Enforcement Directorate says Arvind Kejriwal is deliberately eating mangoes, sweets, taking sugar with tea to increase his blood sugar level and create ground for bail

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made the claim before special judge for ED and CBI cases, Kaveri Baweja, who gave directions to the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter which should also include Kejriwal’s diet chart.

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The Enforcement Directorate told the court on Thursday that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, arrested in liquor policy case, is taking high sugar intake like mangoes and sweets every day deliberately in spite of suffering from type 2 diabetes so that he can create grounds for medical bail. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made the claim before special judge for ED and CBI cases, Kaveri Baweja, who gave directions to the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter which should also include Kejriwal’s diet chart.

Kejriwal had moved court and also sought permission to consult his regular doctor via video conference because his sugar levels were fluctuating. The judge directed the authorities concerned to file the report by tomorrow, when the court will take up the matter again.

 Advocate Vivek Jain, counsel for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal responded to the ED’s argument and said this is an issue made by Enforcement Directorate so that home-cooked food should also be stopped. He said this would have a major impact on his health. Advocate Jain added that whatever Kejriwal is eating is as per his doctors prescribed dietary chart. He said the matter is sub judice and they do not have anything to say.

Advocate Vivek Jain objected to the Enforcement Directorate’s submission and said that the agency is making these allegations only for the media. He said that some toffee and other things are given to diabetic patients so that they can maintain their sugar levels. Jain added that Kejriwal is withdrawing his application and will file a better one later.

AAP minister Atishi Marlena said that Arvind Kejriwal had fallen ill and lost about 4.5 kg since his arrest on March 21. She addressed a press conference where the AAP leader said, Arvind Kejriwal is a severe diabetes patient but he never lets his health issue come as the way of his in the service to the nation.

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Enforcement Directorate seizes Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra’s properties worth Rs 97 crore

The Enforcement Directorate said in a statement that the Mumbai zonal office of ED has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Kundra under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

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The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday seized businessman Raj Kundra’s properties worth Rs 97.79 crore. The siezed properties include a residential flat in Mumbai’s Juhu, which is named after his wife and Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty.  The Enforcement Directorate said the seized properties include another property which is a residential bungalow in Pune and Equity shares in the name of Raj Kundra.

The Enforcement Directorate said in a statement that the Mumbai zonal office of ED has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Kundra under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The Enforcement Directorate began the investigation on the basis of a number of FIRs which were registered by Delhi Police and Maharashtra Police. It is being said that Kundra collected large sums of money in the form of bitcoins which were worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017 from the public with the false promises of 10 % monthly return in the form of bitcoins.

The ED said that it was planned that the collected bitcoins will be used for bitcoin mining and investors will get to get a large return in Crypto assets. But the promoters cheated the investors as they concealed the ill-gotten bitcoins in obscure online wallets. The Enforcement Directorate revealed in its investigation that Raj Kundra received 285 bitcoins from the mastermind and promoter of Gain Bitcoin Ponzi Scam Amit Bhardwaj for setting up bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine.

The Enforcement Directorate in its statement said that the bitcoins were sourced out of proceeds of crime collected by Amit Bhardwaj from gullible investors. Since the deal did not go through, so Kundra is still in possession and enjoyment of 285 bitcoins which are valued at more than Rs 150 crore. Earlier a number of search operations were conducted in connection with this case, leading to the arrest of three people — Simpy Bhardwaj on December 17, 2023, Nitin Gaur on December 29, 2023, and Nikhil Mahajan on January 16, 2023.

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Religious outfit vandalises The Blessed Mother Teresa High School in Telangana after teachers object to students wearing Hanuman Deeksha dress

The Religious group broke glass windows and flower pots and pelted stones on the statue of St. Mother Teresa at the school’s entrance. The religious outfit also attacked Father Jaimon Joseph, the school manager.

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A religious group shouting Jai Shri Ram has vandalised a Catholic school and assaulted a priest in Telangana’s Mancherial district on Tuesday. The saffron mob staged protest and vandalised The Blessed Mother Teresa High School in Kannepally village. They broke glass windows and flower pots and pelted stones on the statue of St. Mother Teresa at the school’s entrance. The religious outfit also attacked Father Jaimon Joseph, the school manager.

The priest who is a member of the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS) said some of members of the mob even slapped and threw punches at him while others attacked him from behind. The religious outfit accused the school management of not allowing Hindu students to wear their religious costumes. The school authorities said the allegation made by the mob is misleading and has no truth in it.

Earlier, the students who wore religious costumes had informed the school principal that it was part of a 21-day special religious practice. The principal said he had only asked the students to bring their parents to school after noticing that they are not wearing the school uniform.

Later, members of the religious outfit started protesting outside the school. They demanded action should be taken against the management for stopping the students from entering the school and appearing for their annual examinations as they were wearing the Hanuman deeksha dress.

The priest said soon after the video started circulating on social media and became viral with hate messages against Christians. After this incident many Hindus reached the school and vandalized it. A complaint has been lodged at the local police station by the school management, but no arrests have been made so far. Instead of taking action against the miscreants, the police have filed a case against the school management for hurting religious sentiments of the local people.

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