By Pallavi Smart, Pune Mirror | Jan 31, 2015, 02.30 AM IST
Aadhaar card number to be linked to bank account to ensure transfer of funds
City colleges have been asked to take on the responsibility of procuring Unique Identity (UID) or Aadhaar cards for students. The logic behind this is that students can then have bank accounts linked to their Aadhaar card number, thereby making it convenient for the government to transfer scholarship funds, if any. Colleges have also been asked to conduct camps to create awareness about the importance of the card.
A circular in this regard has been issued to all colleges and the move has been implemented in order to bring transparency in the system, after several discrepancies emerged of students not receiving full scholarship amounts, or the money getting delayed and resulting in students losing out on it if they have already passed out from specific colleges, etc.
Sunil Shete, joint director of higher education who issued the order, said, "Linking the Aadhaar card will help keep track as there are different scholarships given by the state as well as the central government. There will be a complete report on which students are awarded what scholarship, when it is declared and when it is issued."
Around 20,000 students receive scholarships from the state and central governments every year. When asked if there have been incidents where colleges were found not transferring money to students, Shete said, "In some cases, if the student has already graduated, it is difficult to trace him/her. Also, there was no way of finding out if the money actually reached the student. With this system, the government can be certain. Also, we will know of students availing of more than one scholarship in which case another deserving student will have a chance to receive aid."