Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed on Sunday that the Aadhaar data of a person cannot be hacked even if the hacker tries “a billion times”. Displaying his unique identity card at a function in Panaji to launch Goa’s IT policy, Prasad said the Aadhaar data did not contain information that could be misused.

“It contains my photograph, that I’m a male and my permanent Patna address,” he said, according to the Hindustan Times. “What does it not contain? My religion, my income, my medical record, my caste, my community and my other private information by which I can be trolled.”

“But the system contains my fingerprint and my iris scan, kept in safe, secure condition which cannot be broken even with the billionth effort you seek to make,” Prasad claimed. “Aadhaar is a home grown technology… and is completely safe and secure. With proper Parliamentary approval of the law, so tough, that even if I disclose my fingerprint and iris to unknown persons, except in case of national security, I can be prosecuted.”

The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar project.

Meanwhile, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar warned that fake news was a major drawback of the penetration of technology into far-flung areas of the country. “People should realise that fake news can do more harm or a rumour can do more harm than good,” he said.