In regards with the recent order of the Supreme Court, The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) asserts and warns the schools not to make Aadhar number mandatory for school admissions, doing so will be against the order of the Supreme Court.
“This is not right. This is not as per the provisions of law… school admission and other facilities to children cannot be made conditional to the production of Aadhaar,” UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey told PTI.
UIDAI has said it is aware of the reports that some schools are asking for Aadhaar cards for student admission.
“In fact, schools should admit children without Aadhaar and ensure that children are given Aadhaar once they are in schools by arranging special camps for them,” he said.
When asked what consequences could schools face if they continued to make Aadhar card compulsory, Pandey says it will clearly be seen as a contempt of court.
The UIDAI comes into action when admissions to nursery classes and primary classes have just begun in over 1500 private schools.
In regards to the Supreme Court order, the Aadhar is not mandatory for bank accounts, mobile connections, or school admissions, neither for the examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical entrance and the University Grants Commission. The verdict added that Aadhar would remain compulsory for the filing of Income Tax Returns and allotment of Permanent Account Number (PAN) as well as welfare schemes.