More Than 60,000 Students Denied Entitlements In Delhi Schools, Courtesy Aadhaar and Bank Accounts

Nearly 64,641 students enrolled in the Delhi Government schools are being denied funds from various welfare schemes due to the absence of proper bank accounts. The data of the Delhi government states that 4.2 per cent of the currently enrolled 15,33,750 students do not have bank accounts, resulting in the complete denial of scholarships and other funds to the deserving students, The Indian Express reported. Interestingly, one of the main reasons for not having bank accounts has been found to be the lack of Aadhaar cards. The responsibility of opening the bank accounts has been entrusted with the schools which supposed to issue a letter in favour of the student. 

Abandoning the disbursal of cash, the Directorate of Education now transfers the amount directly into the bank accounts of students. Apart from pre-matric and post-matric scholarships, the students enrolled in Delhi government schools also receive funds for uniforms and stationary items. As per the present norms, the Class XI and Class XII students are entitled to receive Rs. 1,400 whereas the students of Class X and junior students till Class IX receive Rs. 1,100 and Rs. 800, respectively. 

The administrative failure is likely to hit thousands of children belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other minority communities. This is not the first time Aadhaar has become an obstacle in getting admissions and entitlements in schools. Many residents of North-East Delhi, in March this year, had alleged that their wards were denied entry level admissions due to the absence of Aadhaar numbers.

Talking to NewsClick, a school principal, who requested anonymity, said that there are discrepancies existing at various levels in the system. He said, “If the students do not possess Aadhaar cards, we request their parents to get them enrolled at the earliest. First we used to distribute cash, now all transactions are done online. Another problem exists at the account’s level, where I have seen students carrying Aadhaar cards issued outside Delhi have also been denied entitlements”. 

Commenting on the issue, veteran advocate Ashok Agarwal said, the students are the responsibility of the government and the schools cannot run away from this responsibility. He said, "The policies have been deliberately drafted in a complicated manner. Why should a student furnish all documents to open their bank account and get entitlements? Essentially, the school certificate should be enough to get their bank accounts made. It contains all the details necessary for getting bank accounts opened. If zero accounts can be opened without furnishing the Aadhaar number, why should innocent children be deprived of their rights".

He added, "I recall one of the students, who did not have a bank account, went to a Aadhaar centre for his enrolment. Due to some technical reasons, his fingers could not be scanned and the Aadhaar centre denied the number. It was only after our litigation in Delhi High Court that he was able to get admission. This approach defeats the very objective of the policies which mandate people's welfare".