Aadhaar card not mandatory for school admission in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Tuesday said Aadhaar card is not mandatory for admission of a student in any school in the State. State School and Mass Education department Secretary Aswathy S, in a letter to all the district education officers, said children must be allowed to take admission in schools with or without an Aadhaar card.

The academic season for this year has already started and admission is also continuing in some schools.

“It was instructed earlier that the admission of students should be hassle-free and smooth and in no case parents shall face inconvenience during the admission of their children,'' the letter said. After admission, students should be facilitated for obtaining Aadhaar cards by coordinating with various offices of the district, it said.

“Head masters are insisting the parents to submit Aadhaar card for admission of children in different classes. It is clarified that the children must be allowed to take admission in schools with or without an Aadhaar card,” the letter said.

The Secretary asked the district education officers to communicate and inform all head masters and head mistresses for the smooth admission of students and any deviation will be viewed seriously.In September 2018, the Supreme Court had said that no child could be denied benefits of any scheme for not having an Aadhaar number. "CBSE, NEET, UGC cannot make Aadhaar mandatory, also it is not compulsory for school admissions," it had said.