TNN | Apr 3, 2016, 05.19 AM IST
Hyderabad: In a bid to weed out bogus beneficiaries of government welfare schemes, the Telangana school eduation department has made it mandatory for parents of students in both government and private schools to submit the Aadhaar details of their wards.
Saying the information is required to ascertain the number of students who avail of government schemes, the department issued a directive last month seeking Aadhaar card details of all students. The directive, despite a Supreme Court order that said it is not mandatory for students to submit their Aadhaar details, has baffled many parents, especially those with children studying in private schools.
The government officials, meanwhile, said the exercise is meant to ascertain targeted delivery of benefits to students who need them the most. "This step is being taken to determine students' data. The Aadhaar details of each student will provide the department with the exact strength in government as well as private schools. It will also help the government verify how many students are dropping out from school every year," said a senior education department official.
Incidentally, Telangana is among the very few states to have 100% Aadhaar coverage. Officials say that government agencies across the country can verify the identity of an individual on real-time basis from the central database without requiring a physical card.
However, the move has attracted criticism from parents of students in private schools, who cite concerns of invasion of individual privacy. "The school has been seeking the Aadhaar card number of my son for a long time now. When questioned, even the management doesn't know why they are collecting these details. Despite the SC order, the school education department is asking such private details, which I refuse to submit," said Mansoor Ali Khan, a parent who has his ward admitted in a private school in Tolichowki.
Sangeetha Reddy, a parent, shares similar concerns, and is questioning the government's need to seek Aadhaar details. "If its goal is to ascertain bogus beneficiaries in government schools, the department cannot seek details of all students. It should look for an alternative to ascertain enrolment and drop-out rate in government schools," she said.