After being a facilitator of cash benefit transfers, LPG supply and provident fund, Aadhaar will now turn vital for students too. In a communication sent to universities, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked them to ensure Aadhaar enrolment by their students.
“Universities and each of the affiliated colleges may appoint a nodal officer for helping the students for Aadhar enrolment,’’ Akhilesh Gupta, Secretary, UGC said in a circular. It was proposed to link Aadhaar with students’ bank account numbers so that there could be direct cash transfer of scholarships and fellowships, he said.
The UGC also directed the students to collaborate with concerned State/central authorities engaged in Aadhaar enrolments to speed up the work. Though no last deadline has yet been fixed by the higher education regulator, the circular said, “This needs to be taken up on high priority.”
Some universities have already started preliminary work for the task. “Yesterday, we spoke to officials concerned and requested them to set up a separate camp to enrol students of the university,’’ a functionary of the University of Hyderabad told Business Line on Thursday.
The enrolment process might begin by next month, he added.
The process is expected to be massive given the fact that there are over 250 universities in the country.
A good number of students depend on scholarships from the Social Welfare Department for reimbursement of mess bills besides merit scholarships and fellowships for research-related programmes.