The government has made Aadhaar mandatory to avail of benefits under nearly three dozen central schemes apart from the midday meal scheme at schools and the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan. The government says it will help people who don’t have the biometric identity document to get it without any inconvenience by June 30."Seventy-five percent of children between five and 18 years of age have Aadhaar in states where it is being made mandatory. Almost every adult in the country has an Aadhaar,” a top government official said. “Children who do not have an Aadhaar will be enrolled by their school itself for the same by June 30 ... so, there is no question of any child being denied a midday meal by states or they being made to run around for it. Same goes for the 30-odd other schemes in question."
Aadhaar will soon be mandatory for all 84 schemes covered so far under direct subsidy benefit transfer programme, the official said. Those without an Aadhaar can apply for the identity card by June 30 and get benefits till then by furnishing alternative documents, he added.
ET was the first to report, on August 22, that the Centre would make Aadhaar compulsory for schemes like midday meal and Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, the programme aimed at universalisation of elementary education. In multiple notifications issued last week, Aadhaar has been mandatory for 34 schemes including these and the National Social Assistance Programme and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana for skill training. Aadhaar is already required for getting subsidised LPG and foodgrains under the public distribution system.
The Ministry of Social Justice has now made Aadhaar compulsory for six scholarship schemes for students with disabilities and benefits given under the National Action Plan for skill training of disabled and for disabled persons seeking aids and appliances. For availing of subsidised education loans and venture capital funds or credit enhancement guarantees for startups under three schemes of this ministry, backward caste students will have to furnish their Aadhaar number. The ministry will ask for the Aadhaar id for giving also assistance to NGOs that are working for the welfare of SCs, backward castes, alcoholics and old people.
Victims of atrocities belonging to SCs and STs and those seeking incentives for inter-caste marriages will need to furnish Aadhaar id to get benefits from the social justice ministry.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has made Aadhaar mandatory for the Saakshar Bharat Scheme for adult education and paying salaries to teachers and other staff under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan. It has also been made mandatory by the health ministry for paying staff and accredited social health activists under the National Health Mission. Other schemes brought under Aadhaar's ambit include the Swadhar Greh Scheme to rehabilitate woman victims of sexual exploitation.
As per the notifications, any person without an Aadhaar and wishing to get benefits under these schemes must apply for one by June 30. Department in charges need to offer Aadhaar enrolment facilities at convenient locations or become UIDAI registrars themselves. Till the time Aadhaar is given, the enrolment slip plus any one out of nine prescribed identity documents would need to be furnished to seek the benefits.
"The notifications clearly say no person will be denied any benefit for want of Aadhaar if he needs the benefit in a time-bound manner or as an emergency measure," an official said.
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