[Reader-list] IISc students boycott UID, don’t want Big Brother to keep watch

[Vinay Baindur]

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/10/20110823201108230010571621d4f13b8/IISc-students-boycott-UID-don%E2%80%99t-want-Big-Brother-to-keep-watch.html





 IISc students boycott UID, don’t want Big Brother to keep watch

The programme doesn’t have statutory backing. It is still in parliament

 Sameer Ranjan Bakshi


 Posted On Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 12:10:29 AM

 Nandan Nilekani may be Bangalore’s blue-eyed boy making waves at the
national level with his Unique Identification Number (UID), but there’s one
part of the city that’s not impressed: A section of students and faculty of
Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

While many Bangaloreans have started enrolling for UID, the students are in
boycott mode and say they will never do so.

Professor Shiv Sethi, astrophysics department, Raman Research Institute,
said, “They (the authorities) have moved faster than us by starting the
enrolment. It was during the discussion phase that we tried to impress upon
them the loopholes of UID. Now that they have started the enrolment, it’s
our turn to protest. We will meet and discuss with other like-minded
people.”

IIScians say they don’t want to be under surveillance and that they are not
comfortable with giving away their personal details since studies have
proved how unsafe electronic data can be. The programme has been scrapped in
the UK, they said.

In fact, when Nilekani visited IISc a few months back to deliver a lecture,
the anti-UID group protested with placards and banners that read, ‘Beware,
Big Brother is watching you’ and ‘Secure electronic archive is a myth’.

And now, apart from not signing up, some students are even considering
burning copies of UID forms, a la team Anna burning copies of the draft
Lokpal bill.

Prathamesh, a scholar, said: “UID is not going to solve problems of
leakages. The government should universalise the PDS system to control
misuse of subsidised foodgrain that find their way to restaurants. The
project is fraught with loopholes and doesn’t have statutory backing. I will
burn copies of the forms.”

Prathamesh added that the UID project was the brainwave of software
companies who do not have a regular stream of revenue.

Even IISc alumni are putting up a fight. One of them who participated in the
protest said, “I will not register. The programme does not have statutory
backing. It is still in parliament. First, they said it was voluntary. Now,
they are trying to link it to banks, LPG connections and other utilities.”

Sethi added, “A few people have approached the court. We will decide the
next course of action.”

There are others who have doubts. Consumer activist Chandrasekhar of
Malle-swaram feels that he needs to clarify all his doubts before enrolling.
“I spoke with the officials. They told me it was voluntary. But now, it
looks like they are linking it with other utilities.”

Nishant Shah, director, research, Centre for Internet Society, said, “We
need to check for three issues: data retention, data protection and data
privacy. Only after these issues are resolved can we have a UID for every
citizen.”