Aadhaar Challenge Reaches RS, Minister Says ‘Core Biometrics Safe’

Opposition parties brought up the controversial Aadhaar challenge of TRAI chief RS Sharma in Rajya Sabha on Friday.

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Congress leader Anand Sharma. 

(Photo: IANS/Altered by The Quint)

Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted on Friday, 3 August, that the “core biometrics” of Aadhaar were safe, adding that the unique identification mechanism has led to savings of more than Rs 90,000 crore.

Asserting that “there has been no case of misuse of UIDAI database till date”, Prasad said:

As far as Aadhaar is concerned, the core biometrics is a critical component, completely safe and secure. Even if you try the billionth time, it will not break. People can have any impression of Aadhaar, but Aadhaar operations have led to the empowerment of poor people...

Ravi Shankar Prasad

Prasad’s remarks came as questions regarding the safety of the Aadhaar database as well as the draft data protection bill were raised in the Question Hour of the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Members of opposition parties also brought up the controversial Aadhaar challenge of TRAI chief RS Sharma.

Speaking about these concerns, Congress leader RS Sharma said:

The TRAI chairman made his Aadhaar card public. It was hacked immediately. His bank accounts were tracked and the money was deposited in his account… There is a need to make it secure. The minister must look into that and explain how it happened.

Anand Sharma, Congress leader

Responding to this, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the UIDAI had already issued a statement in this regard saying that the claim was wrong.

UIDAI also publicly issued an advisory to not disclose it (Aadhaar number). Anand Sharma is a distinguished leader of his party. His phone number and address are available on the Rajya Sabha website. We are in public life in a digital world. We leave a footprint. (But) Core biometrics and iris should not be broken and have not been broken. We undertake an audit to ensure that.

Ravi Shankar Prasad

Meanwhile, CPI leader Binoy Viswam brought up the Sri Krishna committee’s draft data protection bill, asking what the government’s approach is to the distinction between critical and non-critical information set out in the report.

Speaking about the report, which was submitted last week, the IT Minister said that it “is a draft report and is in the public domain”.