Aadhaar not compulsory for admission in schools: UIDAI

New Delhi : The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Tuesday advised schools not to make 12-digit biometric identifier a compulsion for students’ admission.

The advisory comes at a time when admissions in the schools for nursery and entry-level classes have just started in the national capital.

The advisory came after several media reports claimed that the schools are insisting on Aadhaar as one of the documents required for admission.

Speaking to PTI, UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey said,”This is not right. This is not as per the provisions of law…School admission and other facility to children cannot be made conditional to production of Aadhaar.”

Further, UIDAI has asked the school authorities and their managements to ensure that no child is denied 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,” Pandey added.

In September, the Supreme Court had ruled that it is not mandatory to provide aadhaar card for bank accounts, mobile connections or school admissions.