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Nilekani hails SC verdict on Aadhaar (Lead)
Bengaluru, Sep 26 (IANS) Asserting that Aadhaar is a unique identity project, its pioneer and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court judgement on it as landmark.
“This is a landmark judgement in favour of Aadhaar, which is a unique identity project that is critical to the development goals of the nation,” Nilekani tweeted hours after a five-judge constitutional bench of the apex court delivered a verdict in its favour.
Nilekani resigned from the city-based global software major to join the state-run Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in 2009 and spearheaded its ambitious project and was its first Chairman till March 2014.
Noting that the Aadhaar Act 2016 had undergone the ultimate scrutiny in the highest court, Nilekani said a lot of recommendations were incorporated in the central government’s flagship scheme.
“Through the democratic process of discussion and debate, we have created a better and stronger Aadhaar together,” Nilekani said.
Nilekani said the top court had unequivocally validated the founding principles for Aadhaar.
“Aadhaar includes, it doesn’t exclude. The resident was once again recognised as being at the heart of the project, and they have gained new rights that help them assert their ownership over their data,” he said.
Nilekani, who is currently in the US, said Aadhaar had gone through 10 years of feedback and would do so in the future as well.
“I have to study the fine print of the verdict for the provisions that have been struck down,” Nilekani told an Indian news channel.
Hoping that the data protection law would be passed soon by Parliament, the technocrat said it would not be an issue if using Aadhaar was a voluntary decision.
Nilekani, however, quit the UIDAI executive post to contest in the May 2014 Lok Sabha elections from the Bengaluru South constituency on a Congress ticket but lost to BJP’s five-time member and Union Minister Ananth Kumar.
Nilekani re-joined the $10.9-billion IT outsourcing firm in August 2017 as Chairman after the company re-constituted its board.
Earlier, retired Justice K.S. Puttaswamy, one of the first to question the legality of Aadhaar, also welcomed the judgement upholding its validity but restricting it to disbursement of social benefits.
“After holistic consideration, my opinion is that the majority judgement on the validity of the Aadhaar Act is correct though I have not read it (verdict) yet,” the 92-year-old retired Karnataka High Court judge told the media here.
A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra held that Aadhaar would be voluntary and not mandatory with an option to exit.
On linking of Aadhaar with Permanent Account Number (PAN) mandatory, the retired judge said those who pay income tax are limited and they belong to a separate class.
–IANS
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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.