The Centre has reaffirmed its stance that no child should be refused admission to school for not possessing an Aadhaar card, restating previous announcements made in 2018 and 2021. Despite these declarations, some schools continue to demand Aadhaar for admissions, prompting the clarification.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responded to a Lok Sabha query, stating that education is under the Concurrent List of the Constitution, with most schools falling under the jurisdiction of respective State and Union Territory Governments. He cited a circular issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on September 5, 2018, which emphasized that children must not be deprived of their rights or benefits due to the lack of an Aadhaar card. Pradhan asserted that no child should be denied admission or other facilities for the absence of Aadhaar.
Numerous reports have highlighted how children, especially those from marginalized communities, have been deprived of their fundamental right to education, as some states made Aadhaar mandatory for admission to government schools. Enrolling for Aadhaar requires birth certificates and address proof, documents that many children from vulnerable sections of society do not possess.
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