The Maharashtra government has asked all schools, including private ones, to ensure that all their students have Aadhaar numbers before September 30. Schools will also have to upload student data including their Aadhaar numbers on the education department’s school portal.

Prakash Charate, Deputy Education Officer (Private Primary Aided Schools), BMC said, “All schools, both government and private, unaided or aided, have an online portal on which they are required to provide information about the number of teachers and students they have, with their Aadhaar numbers. This will help us collate information on schools and take decisions accordingly. This is being carried out across the State.”

He added: “Aadhaar is a crucial link for tracking a child’s education. At times, the students just disappear from the educational radar, which is then used to blame us for falling educational standards. Using the Aadhaar number, we will be able to track and determine if such children are studying in other schools or have migrated to other cities. We have enrolled most children in Mumbai schools.” Under the Right To Education Act, 2009, the State government is obliged to ensure that all children aged six to 14 are enrolled in schools.

Mr. Charate said such details assume importance now because they become a determining factor in taking important decisions like sanctioning teachers for a school. “Earlier, teachers would be sanctioned as per the number of class divisions; now, this depends on the number of students.”

Dr. Dolly Henry, principal, Vani Vidyalaya School and Junior College, said: “As we are an aided school, we have already made it compulsory for students to have Aadhaar numbers. This is necessary while applying for scholarships and other schemes.”

Jayanti Livingstone, teacher in-charge of Jari Mari Tamil municipal school, said the school has been uploading details of teachers and students on the government portal Saral. “Aadhaar becomes necessary here. If a child does not have Aadhaar, we ask them to enrol and show us the enrolment slip, which we enter in the portal.”

The government has also made it mandatory for all school leaving certificates from institutions in Maharashtra, irrespective of their board affiliations, to bear Aadhaar numbers. A basic standard format has been circulated for school leaving certificates. Schools have also been asked to reprint certificates if they are not in the standard format. Officials said this is expected to tackle issues faced by migrating students.

Schools have already been told to upload information on students eligible for scholarships under various schemes, and to ensure that such students have Aadhaar numbers linked to a bank account. Rural schools have been instructed to organise an enrolment camp on campus if they find a high number of students without Aadhaar numbers, or organise for enrolment at the nearest Aadhaar centre.

The writer is a freelance journalist

Schools have already been told to upload information on students eligible

for scholarships