Aadhaar concerns
Though the Aadhaar card has been described as a preferred ‘Know Your Customer’ document, but not a mandatory one, the general rule in India that is being applied is that Aadhaar is being granted the status of a mandatory document in identifying an individual. It is impossible to open a bank account or even purchase a mobile phone sim card unless one has one’s Aadhaar. The ambivalence of the Unique Identification Authority of India does raise serious questions about the security of millions.
Madhusree Guha,
Kolkata
The need to mask the last four digits of the Aadhaar card should have been taken much earlier if the aim was to protect card holder privacy. With millions of people having already shared the full number to avail services such as mobile telephony, bank facilities, filing IT returns, or even getting a cooking gas connection, much of the data is already in the public domain. The authorities have always claimed that the security of Aadhaar was stronger than a fortress. This is the age of cyber threats and ransomware, and the Government now reluctantly concedes that there could be risks. How strange! The linking of Aadhaar to Voter ID is another lingering issue as an Aadhaar card is not proof of citizenship. There are no clear guidelines on the need to produce one’s Aadhaar card; when demanded, many do so meekly. The guidelines on masking the last four digits are not as simple and easy for the elderly, who may not be so net-savvy and may be compelled to approach a third party for assistance, breaching privacy. If there is a pressing need, the authorities should issue another card with the last four digits masked or issue a separate ID for general use.
H.N. Ramakrishna,
Bengaluru
The UPSC examination
It is remarkable that the three toppers in UPSC 2021 are women from different parts of the country. They deserve applause. Nevertheless, the total number of women selected is a small percentage of the 685 candidates. This is dismal.
K. Nehru Patnaik.
Visakhapatnam
