Livemint: New Delhi: Monday, June 12, 2017.
The UIDAI has
refused to share information on cases of fake and duplicate Aadhaar cards,
saying the disclosure might affect national security, or can lead to incitement
of an offence. Replying to an RTI query by a PTI correspondent, the Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues the card, also denied
to give details of action it has taken in such cases.
It said, the
UIDAI’s Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) facilities, information
assets, logistics and infrastructure and dependencies, have been classified as
‘Protected System’, under the Section 70(1) of the Information Technology Act,
2000.
“Any
disclosure of the UIDAI grievance database, which essentially forms a part of
the UIDAI CIDR operations, therefore, would have an impact on national
security, strategic, scientific and economic interest of the State etc.,” the
UIDAI said in response to the RTI application. It was asked to provide details
related to the cases of duplicate and fake Aadhaar cards received by the UIDAI,
and action taken on them.
The
information sought would fall under Section 8(a) of the RTI Act, and therefore,
it is denied, the UIDAI said. The section bars information “disclosure of which
would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the
security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation
with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence”.
Further, the
format in which information is held by the UIDAI, contains identity details which,
if divulged, maybe prone to identity-theft etc, the authority said. The Aadhaar
card carries 12-digit unique identification number.
The card acts
as a proof of identity and address. There have been a few complaints against
certain unauthorised websites for promising Aadhaar-related services. At least
eight FIRs have been filed by police against as many unauthorised websites for
promising such services. PTI