CONFERENCE ON AADHAAR, ITS LEGALITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR CORPORATES AND AADHAAR ECOSYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS

There is a need for addressing newly emerging legal and cyber security challenges concerning Aadhaar ecosystem on an urgent basis in order to make the Aadhaar ecosystem more secure and safe. Further, the Government needs to take various steps to make Aadhaar ecosystem more cyber secure. The Government also needs to address privacy and data protection nuances concerning Aadhaar as the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 has not addressed the said issues in a very comprehensive manner.

These and a variety of other key thrust areas concerning Aadhaar were discussed at the Conference on Aadhaar, its Legalities and Challenges for Corporates and Aadhaar Ecosystem Stakeholders which took place on 13th April, 2017 at Conference Room-I (Above Library), India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi-110003 from 9 AM to 1.00 PM.

The said Conference was organized by Cyberlaws.Net and Pavan Duggal Associates, Advocates.

The Conference was addressed by Pavan Duggal, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and internationally renowned expert and authority on Cyberlaw, Cybersecurity Law, Mobile Law and Biometric Law. His work on Aadhaar is well documented including his Books on Aadhaar including Law on Aadhaar ), Indian Biometric Identity, Authentication & Law ), Biometric Crimes – Regulation In India ) and Biometric Confidentiality, Security & Indian Law ).

Pavan Duggal underlined the current legal and security challenges facing Aadhaar ecosystem and highlighted the need for more comprehensive legal frameworks to protect and preserve data and privacy of individual Aadhaar account holders in specific and the Aadhaar ecosystem stakeholders in general. He further suggested various areas where legislative provisions are necessary to make Aadhaar more reliable, safe, secure and foundation of the Indian national lifeline.

Pavan Duggal further highlighted the need for the Government to maintain a golden balance between protection of sovereign interests on the one hand and protection of individual liberties and rights in the context of Aadhaar information and biometric data on the other hand.

The Conference was also addressed by various other stakeholders and thought leaders. The thought leaders highlighted the significance of Aadhaar for the Indian growth story. They also highlighted the practical problems faced by various stakeholders in the Aadhaar ecosystem. Various experts also highlighted the need for India to address the legal loopholes in cyber legal frameworks impacting Aadhaar.

The Conference further highlighted and addressed the following issues:
(a) Various legal, policy and regulatory nuances concerning Aadhaar;
(b) Numerous practical challenges faced by Aadhaar;
(c) Corporate strategies on how Aadhaar can be integrated as part of corporate operations;
(d) What corporate and other stakeholders in the Aadhaar ecosystem need to know about the legalities and other challenges faced by Aadhaar;
(e) Compliances for stakeholders under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016
(f) Cyber security and Aadhaar
(g) New opportunities provided by Aadhaar for Aadhaar ecosystem stakeholders
(h) Aadhaar, Banking & FinTech Sector and connected challenges
(i) Appropriate recommendations to strengthen Aadhaar ecosystem

The Conference came up with various recommendations for more quicker expeditious legal frameworks and provisions to be put in place by the Government to make Aadhaar more secure, safe and reliable.