The Indian government s response serves as a robust defense of Aadhaar s reputation and effectiveness. It reaffirms the program s commitment to privacy and security and underscores the stringent measures in place to safeguard user data.
The UIDAI has singularly failed to communicate rules to the public in a clear manner. Now, instead of trying to enforce its rules, it is putting the onus on the public to exercise “normal prudence”.
While Aadhaar is a preferred KYC document for opening bank accounts, the majority of bank executive calls it a mandatory document and ask for a photocopy of the same. The same goes for obtaining a mobile SIM.
Two days after the UIDAI's press release was issued, the PIB did a U-turn, saying that the Aadhaar ecosystem has provided "adequate features" for safeguarding people's identities.
The statement also suggested citizens to use a masked Aadhaar which displays only the last 4 digits of Aadhaar number. It can be downloaded from UIDAI’s official website.