Now, Aadhaar card mandatory for applying scholarships under UGC, AICTE

New Delhi: Students applying for government scholarships will need to produce Aadhaar cards to avail the same, according to new HRD rules.

Students who do not have Aadhaar can also apply, but they need to provide the enrollment number to their respective colleges for obtaining scholarships. However, they need to produce the Aadhar card by June end.

The new rules will applicable in all institutes under the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

These rules will not be applicable in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya.

Those applying for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), Emeritus fellowship, Post-Doctoral Fellowship for SC and ST, post graduate scholarship for university rank holder, post graduate scholarship for single girl child and other UGC scholarships will need to produce Aadhar.

“The use of Aadhaar as identity document for delivery of services or benefits or subsidies simplifies the government delivery processes, brings in transparency and efficiency, and enables beneficiaries to get their entitlements directly in a convenient and seamless manner and Aadhaar obviates the need for producing multiple documents to prove one’s identity,” HT quoted a government notification dated April 26 as saying.

According to HT, the scholarship process will delay if students fail to provide their Aadhaar card numbers within the stipulated period of time.