Earlier on Friday, Regulation Minister Kiren Rijiju took to Twitter to share a tweet detailing 4 authorities selections. Apart from linking Aadhaar with electoral roll information, the central authorities has additionally allowed new voters to be registered 4 occasions a 12 months, as an alternative of the current as soon as, and changed the phrase “spouse” with partner, making the shape extra gender-neutral.
“A citizen who turns 18 on the January 1 or April 1 or July 1 or October 1 in a calendar 12 months can instantly apply for voter registration. The 4 qualifying dates will significantly improve the voter base,” Rijiju mentioned in his tweet.
The invoice to permit the linking was handed by the Lok Sabha in December final 12 months by a voice vote and has been criticised by privateness coverage specialists.
“It’s a harmful regulation that may undermine electoral democracy; free and honest elections; particular person privateness. We now have no information safety regulation. The one into consideration is leaky as a sieve,” Apar Gupta of the Web Freedom Basis had then mentioned.
The central authorities has, nonetheless, defended the transfer arguing that the linking of Aadhaar numbers to voter id was key to removing pretend and duplicate voter playing cards and making elections honest and clear.
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Although the federal government has mentioned that the linking of Aadhaar numbers to electoral rolls is voluntary, privateness specialists have identified that there’s an absence of alternative within the varieties.
“There’s an absence of alternative within the varieties to the supply of Aadhaar. The one exception is for individuals who, “don’t have a Aadhaar quantity”. Any false declaration is liable to prosecution. Therefore, there’s a obligatory provision for Aadhaar with electoral rolls,” Gupta mentioned in his tweet on Saturday.
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