BENGALURU, August 4, 2015
- STAFF REPORTER
The Department of Public Instruction’s circular urging all Education Department employees, including teachers and non-teaching staff members of aided and government schools, to mandatorily provide their Aadhaar card details to link it to their salary accounts has drawn flak from many quarters.
SC order
Despite a Supreme Court order that the government should not insist on Aadhaar details for providing government subsidies and basic services to ordinary citizens, the department seems to be pushing for Aadhaar. An order issued by the Commissioner for Public Instruction last month states that that all these details need to be provided by September 15.
A teacher in a government school in north Bengaluru said that she did not have an Aadhaar card.
“I have been strongly against the opinion and the purpose of Aadhaar. The Supreme Court too has categorically said that it should not be made mandatory to avail any services. But now, I will need to get an Aadhaar card to get my salary,” the teacher said.
However, Manjunath H.K., president of the Karnataka State High School Assistant Masters’ Association, said that it might reduce corruption and streamline obtaining salaries.
Department officials maintained that this process was being done “merely” for administrative convenience.