Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Notices on India-Funded Digital ID

Colombo, Aug 27 (PTI) Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has issued notices to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Cabinet in relation to the India-funded Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) programme. This action comes in response to a petition alleging a breach of fundamental rights. Former minister Wimal Weerawansa filed the petition, claiming the government's decision to advance the project violates fundamental rights and lacks transparency. He argues that neither Parliament nor the public were sufficiently informed about the initiative.

Earlier in the year, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Colombo in April, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to facilitate India's support for Sri Lanka's digital transformation efforts. The Unique Digital Identity project, funded by an Indian grant, intends to provide Sri Lankan citizens with a secure digital ID akin to India’s Aadhaar system. Implementation is being carried out through cooperation between India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Digital Economy.

Weerawansa's petition highlights concerns over amendments made to the original MoU signed with India in 2022. Cabinet decisions in January and June this year have enabled India to "select and control" the project's core technical infrastructure, including the Master System Integrator (MSI) and the biometric database software (MOSIP).

He further argues that the project could compromise Sri Lanka's national security, as citizens' biometric and demographic data might be exposed to foreign entities without sufficient safeguards in place. The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for October 17.