Aadhar knowledge of an unnamed variety of customers could have been leaked by over 200 state and central authorities web sites, if UIDAI’s response to an RTI question is something to go by. The disclosed knowledge reportedly included full names, addresses, Aadhar numbers and different particulars of a number of customers, however there’s no phrase on how lengthy the personal information of residents have been obtainable for public entry earlier than being faraway from these web sites. Culprits included at the least 210 web sites belonging to numerous central and state authorities departments, together with academic institutes.
One its half, the UIDAI claims that it by no means made any of the small print public by itself. Replying to the RTI question that exposed this alarming breach of personal knowledge, the company claimed that it “has a well-designed, multi-layer strong safety system in place and the identical is being always upgraded to take care of highest degree of information safety and integrity”. In line with UIDAI, it conducts safety audits repeatedly to guard person knowledge and forestall safety breaches. The company additionally added that, “Numerous insurance policies and procedures have been outlined, these are reviewed and up to date regularly, thereby appropriately controlling and monitoring any motion of individuals, materials and knowledge out and in of UIDAI premises, notably the info centres”.
UIDAI or ‘Distinctive Identification Authority of India’, is a statutory authority in cost issuing a 12 digit unique-identity quantity to all Indian residents based mostly on their biometric and demographic knowledge. The company was established in January 2009 by the Authorities of India, underneath the Ministry of Electronics and Info Expertise and, was initially headed by former Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani. The central authorities is within the course of of constructing Aadhaar necessary for residents with the promise of assorted social service schemes, brushing apart warnings from privateness advocates who’ve, again and again, raised considerations concerning the safety of person knowledge. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see what motion will likely be taken to stop a repeat of alarming scenario going ahead.
