The Hindu Newspaper Analysis

Aadhaar Biometric Data Access and Forensic Aid

Context

• Current Aadhaar Act provisions safeguard privacy by restricting access to core biometric data.
• However, there’s a need to reassess these restrictions, especially for aiding forensic investigations in cases of unidentified bodies.

Introduction

• UIDAI restricts data disclosure, protecting individuals’ privacy.
• Normal police access to Aadhaar’s biometric data is barred; core biometric data like fingerprints and iris scans are protected under Sections 29(1) and 33 of the Aadhaar Act.
• Section 33(1) allows data disclosure only by a High Court judge’s order but restricts biometric sharing for any reason.

Balancing Rights and the Need for Identification

• Scientific Support: Fingerprint data could help identify unknown bodies, supporting the right to dignity in death.
• Privacy vs. Dignity: Balances right to privacy with the right to life with dignity, especially in forensic contexts.

Judicial Views on Dignity for the Deceased

• High Court and Supreme Court: Emphasize respectful treatment of bodies.
  • Examples: Repatriation of migrant workers’ bodies, humane practices for deceased prisoners.

Characteristics of Unidentified Deceased Individuals

• Often economically disadvantaged, migrants, or homeless.
• Lacking family connections or communication, hindering missing persons’ reports.
• Some may be homicide victims, found in remote areas with no ID or contacts.

Standard Investigation Process for Unidentified Bodies

• Body examined, distinguishing marks noted, fingerprints taken.
• Evidence, CCTV, phone records analyzed; cross-checked with missing persons.
• Fingerprints critical, especially for decomposed bodies where ridge patterns on fingers aid identification.

Limitations of Current Database Access

• Only criminal records are in police fingerprint databases; non-digitized in many states.
• Aadhaar data access could help identify bodies, aiding last rites and thorough investigations.

Legal Barriers

• Aadhaar Act prohibits core biometric sharing, even in forensic cases.
• Comparatively, U.S. law enforcement can use extensive databases for deceased identification via advanced algorithms.

Need for Re-Evaluation of Aadhaar Act

• Privacy vs. Identification: Re-evaluating restrictions could benefit specific contexts like deceased identification.
• Controlled Access: Limited access via FIR verification can align with constitutional norms without breaching privacy.

Proposed Legal Mechanism

• BNSS Verification: Disclose biometric data upon FIR verification under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Section 194.
• Magistrate Orders: Authorization from a jurisdictional magistrate, avoiding higher judiciary for privacy-sensitive cases.
• This process ensures dignity and supports marginalized individuals in accessing justice.

Conclusion

• Using legal means to identify deceased persons upholds constitutional imperatives.
• It serves public safety, provides closure to families, and maintains dignity for economically and socially disadvantaged groups.

 

 

 

 

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis

Rising STEM Research Demands and the Need for Revitalised Education

Context

• With large investments in fields like quantum computing, cybersecurity, and AI, there is an urgent need for skilled students.
• However, there is a shortage of qualified talent in these areas.

Introduction

• Despite the growth of private engineering colleges and new IITs, most students graduate lacking industry-required skills.
• Research institutes also face challenges in finding qualified candidates.
• The shortage of skilled students is alarming, with fewer students pursuing higher education.
• Faculty shortages and the risk of underutilizing funds for cutting-edge fields are major concerns.

Core Concerns

• Quality of students pursuing higher studies is a problem for industries and research institutions.
• The lack of skilled students is affecting India’s socio-economic fabric.
• Institutions are struggling with both faculty shortages and inadequate skilled student pipelines.

Quality of Training

• Root Cause: Many faculty members are driven by research output (papers, patents), often neglecting pedagogy, leading to poor-quality graduates.
• Domino Effect: Low-quality graduates affect industry standards, research, and faculty quality.
• Current Solutions: Upskilling programs, internships, and online courses are limited and not scalable to meet demand.

Key Statistics

• Premier institutions (IITs, IIITs, IISc) recruit only about 5% of India’s undergraduate students.
• Examples:
  • IIT Bhubaneswar admits fewer than 60 students for computer science annually.
  • KIIT University admits over 2,000 students in the same field.
  • Similar disparities exist between IIT Madras and private institutions like SRM and VIT.
• Pipeline Issues: 95% of students come from teaching institutions, which face challenges in both quality and scale.

Recommendations for Improvement

1. Re-evaluate Ranking Systems:
   • Stop ranking teaching institutions based solely on research output (papers/patents).
   • Focus rankings on teaching quality, avoiding distractions from predatory research outlets.
2. Pedagogy Over Research:
   • Faculty at teaching institutions should focus more on pedagogy rather than research until student quality improves.
   • This approach will improve long-term education and research quality.
3. Faculty Development:
   • Emphasize mentorship, teacher evaluations, and the introduction of newer courses (online/offline).
   • Encourage collaborations with research institutions on teaching methods.
   • Create teaching tracks within academic hierarchies (e.g., Assistant, Associate, Full Professor).
4. Support for Faculty Research:
   • Encourage faculty research collaboration with research institutions.
   • Funding agencies should mandate such collaborations (e.g., ANRF’s PAIR programme).
5. Faculty Promotion Criteria:
   • Faculty promotion should focus on pedagogical skills, assessed through metrics.
   • Encourage State/Central funding for pedagogical centers of excellence.
6. Joint Degree Agreements:
   • Establish joint degree agreements between teaching and research institutions.
   • Top-performing students from teaching institutions could spend their final years at research institutions.
   • Faculty exchanges and collaborations should be promoted through joint workshops and on-site visits.

Way Forward

• Benefits of Joint Agreements:
  1. Improved student quality in research institutions.
  2. Enhanced teaching quality in undergraduate institutions.
  3. Revitalization of teaching institutions.
• Existing Models: Similar student-transfer models are used in the US and in international agreements for faculty exchange.
• Implementation: Start with pilot programs, such as third-year students at NIT Surat spending their final year at IIT Bombay.

Conclusion

• Proposed changes will refocus on pedagogy and improve research output by reducing pressure on faculty.
• These reforms can enhance undergraduate education and contribute to a larger, more skilled talent pool in STEM and beyond.
• The solutions require creativity rather than major additional resources, benefiting multiple academic fields beyond science and engineering.