Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and Non-Executive Chairman of Infosys, who is also the architect of the UIDAI, on Friday expressed confidence that Aadhaar “addresses all design principles laid down by the Supreme Court”. Nilekani said this during an investors’ call held on Friday, where he was asked about the apex court’s landmark judgment on right to privacy as a fundamental right and its implications on the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
Nilekani said: “There is a very good group to look at the data protection policy under Justice Srikrishna. The Aadhaar card will go to a smaller bench which I assume they will constitute. “I am very confident Aadhaar will come out with flying colours because it addresses all the design principles laid down by the Supreme Court.”
“I think it’s a superb decision (by the Supreme Court). While it has upheld privacy as a fundamental right, it also acknowledges that in the interest of larger societal reasons, you may have some constraints on it. “The court has formally said that right to privacy is a fundamental right but not an absolute right,” he added. Nilekani, 62, who was the CEO of Infosys from March 2002 until April 2007 and its Vice-Chairman, quit the company in 2009 to head the UIDAI as its first Chairman till May 2014.
