Aadhaar authentication mandatory for PM CARES for children ccheme

The Centre has made Aadhaar authentication or proof of possession of an Aadhaar number necessary to avail of scholarship benefits under the PM CARES for Children Scheme. However, it has made it clear that no child will be denied assistance for failure to authenticate Aadhaar or for not having been assigned an Aadhaar number. In a notification issued on October 14, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said beneficiaries of the Special Scholarship Scheme under PM CARES for Children, which provides assistance for continuing education from Class 1 to Class 12, will be required to undergo Aadhaar authentication or furnish proof of possession of an Aadhaar number. "An individual desirous of availing of the said benefit under the said scheme shall be required to undergo authentication, or furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number," the notification said.
However, paragraph 4 of the notification states that "the benefit under the said scheme shall not be denied to any child" who fails to establish identity through authentication or furnish proof of possession of an Aadhaar number or submits an application for enrolment where no Aadhaar number has been assigned. In such cases, the benefit will be provided after verifying the child's identity and establishing the relationship with the parent or legal guardian through the documents specified in the notification. Beneficiaries who have not been assigned an Aadhaar number will be required to apply for enrolment. In the case of a child, the application can be made only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
The department will ensure the enrolment of beneficiaries who are yet to be enrolled and facilitate updates to their Aadhaar details. Until an Aadhaar number is assigned, children below 18 years can establish their identity by submitting an enrolment acknowledgement containing the Enrolment ID and a document establishing their age, such as a birth certificate, Indian passport or a Class 10 or Class 12 certificate or marks statement issued by a recognised school education board.
The notification also specifies documents that may be furnished by foreign nationals. For a foreign national below 18 years who has not been assigned an Aadhaar number, the prescribed documents include an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card for an OCI cardholder, a registration certificate issued by a Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for a Tibetan refugee, and a Nepalese or Bhutanese passport for nationals of those countries. In cases involving legal guardianship, an adoption order or another document establishing legal guardianship, issued by a competent authority, may also be furnished.
The department will maintain records of cases in which children receive benefits through the alternative verification process and subject them to periodic review and audit. For genuine beneficiaries aged 18 years or above, the department will follow the exception-handling mechanism specified in an Office Memorandum dated December 19, 2017, issued by the Direct Benefit Transfer Mission under the Cabinet Secretariat.