Mahaveer Saini, a first year student of the Bachelor of Technology programme at the Shanti Suri College of Eng... Read More

JAIPUR: Mahaveer Saini, a first year student of the Bachelor of Technology programme at the Shanti Suri College of Engineering , Udaipur, is at his wits end. He was to receive a government scholarship of about Rs 70,000 a year that would allow him to complete his education. The last date for the application was February 28. Since he does not yet have an Aadhaar number , his scholarship hopes are now dashed.

“I applied for Aadhaar four times – once each in 2011 and 2015, and twice in 2016. The last time was on December 10 last year, and I was told the Aadhaar would come through in 120 days. That period has not elapsed yet but my scholarship now will not come through because I have no Aadhaar card .”

Chairman of the college Abhay Sharma told TOI, “This student has applied for Aadhaar several times and some glitch in the system has rejected his application each time. We are under instructions from the department of social welfare to only accept applications with the Aadhaar number. It is a pity but there is nothing to be done.”

On February 17, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry issued a notification stating that all those seeking to benefit under the scholarship scheme for university and college students will have to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar card or undergo Aadhaar authentication. Those already receiving such scholarships without having Aadhaar numbers should apply for enrolment by June 30. All India Radio reported that “According to officials, the move brings in transparency and enables beneficiaries get entitlements directly to them in a convenient and seamless manner and Aadhaar obviates the need for producing multiple documents to prove identity.”

Activists, however, have questioned the government’s move to ram on with Aadhaar despite the judgments of the Supreme Court that Aadhaar is voluntary, not mandatory. On September 14 last year, the SC, in a case between petitioner All Bengal Minority Students Council and Union of India stayed a letter dated July 14, 2016 by the under-secretary of the Government of India to all chief secretaries and administrators of all states and union territories that had said, “Only online application under the Scheme will be accepted and no request for offline applications will be entertained. It may be noted that submission of Aadhaar is mandatory.”

Additional chief secretary Ashok Jain in the state department of social justice and empowerment said, “We will do what is possible to ensure that this student is not denied scholarship. We will also check if there are more such cases and then issue the necessary instructions so students are not made to suffer for no fault of theirs.”

