Central Odisha Government Ensures Hassle-Free School Admission Without Aadhaar Card

The Odisha government clarified on Monday that Aadhaar is not mandatory for admission into different classes and directed students to enroll in schools with or without an Aadhaar card. This decision came after reports of headmasters in some schools insisting that parents submit the cards for their children’s admission. Aswathy S, the state school and mass education secretary, sent a letter to the district education officers (DEOs) instructing them to ensure smooth student admissions. “The academic season for this year has already started, and admissions are underway in some schools as needed. It was previously instructed that student admissions should be hassle-free and smooth, and parents should not face any inconvenience during the process,” said Aswathy. Emphasizing that children must be allowed to enroll in schools with or without Aadhaar, Aswathy warned that any deviation from this instruction will be severely dealt with. Aswathy S also directed that after admission, students should be assisted in obtaining Aadhaar cards by coordinating with various district offices. Admission to different classes for the 2023-24 academic season began this April. Sujit Bisoyi, a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express, contributed to this article.