Private vendor may have fled with data of 5-mn ex-servicemen, reveals RTI

ECHS further stated that 'the Smart Card was in the custody of the individual' and that "no biometric data was stored in the system"

In a shocking lapse, the Ministry of Defence has admitted that it was unsure whether or not a private vendor has fled with the personal data of about 50 lakh ex-servicemen and noted that it “cannot comment whether a copy of the same has been retained by the company or not”.

After maintaining a stony silence for over three months, the ministry finally responded to the issue raised by the Right to Information activist Commodore (retd) Lokesh K Batra on March 22 and admitted that the data pertained to the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).

Biometric data was contained in smart card

Responding