The unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court of India (SCI) in KS Puttaswamy (Retd) v. Union of India is a resounding victory for privacy. The ruling is the outcome of an appeal challenging the constitutional validity of India's Aadhaar biometric identity scheme. The judgment's clear endorsement of the right to privacy as a fundamental right marks a watershed moment in India's constitutional history. The one-page order signed by all nine justices states: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay The right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution. The right to privacy in India has developed through a series of decisions over the last 60 years. Over the years, the inconsistency between the first two rulings has created a difference of opinion on whether the right to privacy is a fundamental right. Last week's ruling reconciles these different interpretations to unequivocally state that this is the case. Furthermore, constitutional provisions must be read and interpreted in a manner that enhances their compliance with international human rights instruments ratified by India. The ruling also concludes that privacy is a necessary condition for the meaningful exercise of other guaranteed freedoms. The judgment, in which the judges give reasons for the one-page order, spans 547 pages and includes opinions from six judges, creating a legal framework for privacy protection in India. The opinions cover a wide range of issues and make clear that privacy is a fundamental and inalienable right, intrinsic to human dignity and freedom. The decision is particularly timely given the rapid rollout of Aahaar. In fact, the privacy ruling arose from a pending challenge to India's biometric identity system. We have already covered the privacy and surveillance risks associated with such a scheme. Ambiguity over the nature and scope of privacy as a right in India has allowed the government to collect and compile both demographic and biometric data of residents. The original justification for the introduction of Aadhaar was to ensure that government benefits reach the intended recipients. After rapid implementation and expansion, it is the largest biometric database in the world, with over 1.25 billion Indians registered. The government's push for Aadhaar has led to its wide acceptance as proof of identity and as a tool to restructure and facilitate government services. In the wake of data leaks and hacking incidents, critics of Aadhaar argue that biometric data linked to the card could be misused by government bodies. While on the other hand the government strongly supports the Aadhaar project, the Center has argued that the right to life of millions of poor people in the country through food, shelter and welfare measures is much more important than the privacy concerns raised by the elite class . : This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get Custom Essay So now the basic question to ask is, “Is Aadhar still in danger or not?"?”
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