{"id":7512,"date":"2022-08-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/22-08-2022\/aadhaar-voter-id-linking\/"},"modified":"2022-08-22T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T00:00:00","slug":"aadhaar-voter-id-linking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-08-2022\/aadhaar-voter-id-linking","title":{"rendered":"Aadhaar-Voter ID Linking"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Recently, some reports highlighted the state of coercion emerging in Aadhaar-voter ID linking.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Not voluntary in action: <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Despite clarifications from various government authorities that the linking of Aadhaar with the voter identity card is \u201cvoluntary\u201d, there have been instances of people being warned by booth-level officers that their voter ID would be canceled if it is not linked to their Aadhaar number.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Double standards:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Submission of Aadhaar number in Form 6B is voluntary:<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> No entry in electoral roll shall be deleted on the ground of non-submission of Aadhaar number. Purpose of obtaining Aadhaar number is for authentication of electors\u2019 entries in electoral roll &#038; extending better electoral services.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Contentious <\/strong><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/24-12-2021\/election-laws-amendment-bill-2021#:~:text=Introducing%20The%20Election%20Laws%20(Amendment,the%20electoral%20process%20more%20credible.\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"color:#1155cc\"><strong>Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>: <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It allows for the linking of electoral data with the Aadhaar number and was passed by Parliament in December 2021, amid strong protests by the Opposition.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">At the time, the Government had informed Parliament that linking the voter ID with a person\u2019s Aadhaar details would be voluntary.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>New changes: The Ministry of Law and Justice recently amended Form 6:<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> It introduced Form 6B to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. These forms make it compulsory for those who have Aadhaar to provide their Aadhaar Numbers in order to vote.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Efforts by the Election Commission of India: <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It started a campaign on August 1 for the \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">voluntary<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">\u201d linking of Aadhaar details with the voter ID.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Need for Linking<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">To <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>streamline electoral rolls <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">and the process of registration of migrated voters without duplication in the rolls<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">To <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>curb <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">the menace of <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>multiple enrolment <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">of the same person in different places.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It will help <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">clean up electoral rolls <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">and facilitate elector registration in the location at which they are \u201cordinarily resident\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Government is attempting to <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>stop bogus voting<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>possibility <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">of electors whose names appear in more than one electoral roll or at times more than once in the same electoral roll can be <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>removed<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Criticisms of the Move<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The move has drawn flak from various sections of society citing <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>violations to an individual&#8217;s right to privacy<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Many have also flagged concerns that the linkage would help in creating voter profiles which may be used to <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>influence the voting process<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Bill <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>violates <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">the Supreme Court judgement on <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Justice K S Puttaswamy case<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The linkage would open the ecosystem to a possibility of a data breach by any agency or non-state actors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It will <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>infringe <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">on the fundamental rights of citizens.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It is <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>beyond the legislative competence <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">of the Aadhaar Act to be linked with the electoral laws.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Aadhaar is meant for the residents of India and all residents are not Indians. By linking the Aadhaar with the electoral process, we are potentially giving voting<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> rights to non-citizens<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The Election Commission should list the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>safeguards built <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">into the electoral roll data platform for \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>protecting the privacy of individuals<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"margin-left:28px\">\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"border-collapse:collapse; border:none; width:596px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color:#fff2cc; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; border-left:1px solid #000000; border-right:1px solid #000000; border-top:1px solid #000000; vertical-align:top; width:596px\">\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">The UIDAI is a statutory authority established under the provisions of the <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (\u201cAadhaar Act 2016\u201d) <\/strong><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">on 12 July 2016 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">The <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Aadhaar Act 2016<\/strong><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"> has been amended by the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 (14 of 2019) w.e.f. 25.07.2019.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">UIDAI was created to issue Unique Identification numbers (UID), named as &#8220;Aadhaar&#8221;, to all residents of India. The UID had to be &#8211;<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">robust enough to eliminate duplicate and fake identities, and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">verifiable and authenticable in an easy, cost-effective way.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">As on 31st October 2021, the Authority has issued 131.68 crore Aadhaar numbers to the residents of India.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">Under the Aadhaar Act 2016, UIDAI is responsible for Aadhaar enrolment and authentication, including operation and management of all stages of Aadhaar life cycle, developing the policy, procedure, and system for issuing Aadhaar numbers to individuals and perform authentication and the security of identity information and authentication records of individuals.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India and others<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">In the<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> landmark 2017 Right to Privacy judgement<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">, the Supreme Court had held that the decision by a pregnant person on whether to continue a pregnancy or not is part of such a <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>person\u2019s right to privacy <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">as well and, therefore, the right to life and personal liberty under<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> Article 21<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> of the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Source<\/strong><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">: <\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/questions-arise-over-voluntary-aadhaar-voter-id-linking\/article65794244.ece\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><span style=\"color:#1155cc\">TH<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In News Recently, some reports highlighted the state of coercion emerging in Aadhaar-voter ID linking. About Not voluntary in action: Despite clarifications from various government authorities that the linking of Aadhaar with the voter identity card is \u201cvoluntary\u201d, there have been instances of people being warned by booth-level officers that their voter ID would be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[31,30],"class_list":["post-7512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-government-policies-interventions","tag-gs-2"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/874016Screenshot_20220822-210619_Chrome.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}