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Directions (Q. 51 - 60): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it certain words are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Aadhaar literally means something that holds (dhaaran: to hold). The word is interpreted either as a foundation or base (such as, to a building), or a container (such as, of water), even though given that it is an identity-verifying system, a door or gateway would have been a more appropriate word to describe it.

Moreover, the recent controversies surrounding it seem to conflict with both interpretations of the word, raising doubts as to whether the foundation is strong enough, or the container leak proof, given the data breach incident and the misuse of the Aadhaar number by a well-known mobile network provider. But going beyond these logistical issues, unfortunate as they are, which can also occur in other contexts, there's a more basic question: what exactly is unique about Aadhaar?

There are many methods of identification required in different contexts in India, such as the ration card, the Permanent Account Number (PAN) card, the voter card, the driver's licence and passport. But these are only needed for a specific purpose: to draw supplies of food and kerosene from the public distribution system (PDS), to file for income taxes, to vote, to drive or to travel.

Compared to these, the only thing that seems unique about Aadhaar, a 12-digit unique identity number assigned to Indian residents that connects an individual to his or her address and demographic information - other than the fact that it's based on a biometric identification system - is the forced and regimented fashion via which it is being operationalized.

This has reportedly led to some deaths of very poor citizens who were turned down from receiving food from the PDS for not having the Aadhaar card, or because of some technical glitches.

One can object to Aadhaar on principle, on grounds of privacy, or giving the State access to too much information about individuals. Yes, in the digital era we live in, this is a danger that is out there even without Aadhaar. However, that is not a good argument in its favour.

Aadhaar would then be yet another, more comprehensive and expansive domain in which these risks will arise.

One can also support it .in principle but oppose it in practice, given the way it is being implemented and its potential abuse, given the nature of our administrative machinery and political and legal institutions.

There are many who do not object in principle to having a consolidated multipurpose ID used to minimise inclusion and exclusion errors that relate to various government welfare schemes due to corruption and inefficiency - namely, those who are not eligible receiving it and those who are eligible not receiving it.

However, many of them can still oppose it on the grounds of the coercive manner in which the scheme is being implemented, and its reach being expanded to those who are not recipients of any Gol welfare scheme.

 

Direction: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions. What gave rise to Aadhaar related controversies?

A)  The data breach incident

B)       The misuse of the Aadhaar-number by a well-known mobile network provider

C)       Deprivation of govt. facilities to daily-wage labourers

D)       Only (a) and (b)

E)       All (a), (b) and (c)