This chapter aims to explore the Indian State’s pursuit of personal data, which is implicit in the legal framework, institutional agencies, and governing mechanisms. As well as highlighting the unresolved tension between surveillance and privacy in the legal-juridical frameworks for national security and the new governance initiatives such as Aadhaar, the chapter also attempts to understand the predicaments for a democracy to function on a slippery tightrope between legitimate security and governance purpose along with the expectations to safeguard right to privacy.