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"Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will soon establish data entry centres in all villages to collect details of citizens so that it can issue Aadhar cards with unique identification number. Officials of UIDAI and the Planning Commission conducted a review meeting in the Zilla Parishad conference hall over the progress of the Aadhar card programme in the district. They have urged public representatives including ZPTC and MPTC members to create awareness among the public over Aadhar cards which would provide unique identification number to every citizen of the country. UIDAI director Mr. Ravindra said applications for the cards would be available at all the ration shops and AP Online centres. According to him, people above 5 years of age were eligible to get the cards. "The scheme is very important for the downtrodden sections as Aadhar cards will enable them to get many benefits from the government," he said. "Corrections in the existing ration cards will also be possible with the entry of new data which is essential for issuing Aadhar cards," he added."

Amid a debate over phone-tapping and making conversations public without authorisation, the Telecom Ministry has proposed a penalty of up to Rs 2 crore on unlawfully tapping, as against the prevailing Rs 500. In a communique to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Department of Telecom (DoT) has proposed a penalty between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 crore for breaches under different sections of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. For breaching Section 26 of the Act, which prohibits telegraph officers or other officials from making away with or altering, unlawfully intercepting or disclosing messages, or divulging the purport of signals, maximum penalty has been proposed.

In pursuance of a path-breaking order by a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court in December last, the Delhi Police are gearing up to upload First Information Reports on the Internet within 24 hours to facilitate supply of their copies to the accused or any person connected with the case. As directed, the FIR copies will be made available online by February 1. It is learnt that the police are at present working out the modalities for implementation of the court order. They are, however, yet to decide where exactly the FIRs will be posted and through what mechanism as the Cyber Highway project under which the police stations are to be interconnected is yet to be implemented. It could be either through a link on the Delhi Police official website or a separate one. Discussions in this regard are under way. Whatever the modalities, if the FIRs are made public through the Internet, even the complainants who on several occasions struggle to get a copy of the FIR would have quick access to it through the Internet.

"The Central Information Commission has directed the Raja Sabha Secretariat to disclose the details of private and pecuniary interests declared by MPs, including their commercial and business interests and remunerative positions held by them. Acting on an appeal filed by Anil Bairwal of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Chief Information Commissioner Satyendra Mishra asked the House to release the "register of members' [commercial and business] interest" containing details of their business and commercial interests such as "remunerative directorship, regular remunerative activity, shareholding of controlling nature, paid consultancy and professional engagement.""