Aadhaar not mandatory for school admissions: Odisha School & Mass Education Dept

In a major respite for parents, the Odisha School and Mass Education Department on Tuesday clarified that Aadhaar card of their children is not mandatory for seeking admissions in schools. Such clarification was issued after it was found that some headmasters are insisting parents to submit Aadhaar cards for admission of children in different classes.

In a letter, Odisha School and Mass Education Department Secretary Awasthy S has asked all District Education Officers (DEOs) to communicate all the headmasters for smooth admission of students. Any kind of deviation from such instruction will be seriously reviewed, the letter read.

“It is clarified that the children must be allowed to take admission in schools with or without Aadhaar card,” an official letter read.

The School and Mass Education Department has stated that after admission, students may be facilitated for obtaining Aadhaar cards by coordinating with various offices of the district and Aadhaar is not a mandatory pre-requisite for admission.

It is pertinent to mention here that already academic session has started and admission is also continuing in some schools as per need.

The Odisha government had earlier instructed the officials to ensure that the admission of students should be conducted in a hassle-free manner and in no case, parents should face inconvenience during the admission of their children.