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Jaitley justifies rejection of Aadhaar law amendments
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday defended the government’s stand on the Aadhaar law and said the Lok Sabha was right in rejecting amendments pushed by the opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
“Had the amendments proposed in the Rajya Sabha been accepted, encroachment on the right to privacy would be much wider,” the minister said in a Facebook post, adding that the Lok Sabha “did not agree” with the views of the upper house.
“The Oversight Committee, on issues of national security, would have consisted of either an auditor or an anti-corruption authority, and the money bill would have gone beyond the scope of the money bill.
“These lacunae would have pushed the Aadhaar law into the realm of unconstitutionality. Obviously, the Lok Sabha did not agree with the above suggestions, and in my view, rightly so,” the minister wrote.
The amendments suggested by the Rajya Sabha to Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016, were rejected by the Lok Sabha on March 16. The Bill was subsequently passed by the lower house of parliament.
The 2016 Aadhaar law, the minister said, contained stringent provisions both substantially and procedurally with regard to the right to privacy.
He said the core biometric information cannot be shared with any person, even with the consent of the Aadhaar card holder.
“The Congress, using its superior numbers in the Rajya Sabha, forced an amendment to replace the words ‘national security’ with ‘public emergency or in the interest of public safety’. None of these two phrases are well defined. They are vague and can be elastic,” Jaitley said.
The minister said that the opposition-sponsored amendments, as approved by the Rajya Sabha, had certain “lacunae”.
Explaining in details the “potential ramifications” of the five amendments brought by the Rajya Sabha, he said, “There has understandably been an extensive public debate on the need for the unique identity number for each resident and the desirability of not compromising with the right to privacy.”
“I have always strongly believed that, notwithstanding the jurisprudential debate on the right to privacy, it would be essential to recognise that privacy is an essential aspect of personal liberty guaranteed by article 21 of the constitution. The denial of privacy must thus be based on procedure which should be fair, just and reasonable,” he said.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.