HRD ministry raises concerns over ‘Aadhaar linkage to school subsidy’

Pointing out the need to make more serious deliberations over the move to put the Aadhaar card a mandatory document to avail some direct subsidies offered by the central government, demanding the removal or, at least, detailed discussion of the proposal insisting the ‘Aadhaar linked school subsidy program’, the Human Resource Department ministry has raised serious concerns about the feasibility of the program proposed by the cabinet secretariat.

The controversial proposal was initially proposed last year by the cabinet secretariat. Followed by that, the concerned authority communicated directives to the, concerned, subordinate department, which are authorised to implement the cabinet decisions, regarding its cabinet’s decision to make Aadhaar card mandatory to some direct subsidies. While responding to one such directive, the HRD department has reportedly opined that the proposal would make negative impact on the school education sector where a large number of students are being offered free education.

Earlier, the cabinet secretariat reportedly identified thirty-one schemes in which an Aadhaar linked subsidy distribution need to be performed. Among these thirty-one schemes, some prominent schemes are the direct cash transfer of the food subsidy under the National Food Security Scheme and the direct distribution of the housing loans under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Scheme.

As per the report, the uncertainty prevails in nearly eleven schemes, which are advised to be linked to the Aadhaar. Anyway, it seems that the new developments will trigger serious discussions among people, belonging to various strata of the society, about the ‘Aadhaar linked subsidy program’ in coming days.

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