Students across the country will now need an Aadhar number to get a mid-day meal, according to a latest notification by the HRD ministry, reports the Hindustan Times.
Meghalaya, Jammu and Kasmir and Assam have been excluded from the notification and students have been given time till 30 June 2017 to enroll in the Aadhar scheme.
The notification said: The use of Aadhaar as identity document for delivery of services, benefits or subsidies simplifies the government delivery process and enables beneficiaries to get their entitlements directly and in a seamless manner.
The cook-cum-helpers engaged in the scheme are also covered under the notification and will have to furnish an Aadhar number too.
Currently, 10.03 crore children are given a mid-day meal out of 13.16 crore children enrolled in schools during 2015-16.
Earlier, the HRD ministry had raised an alarm over using Aadhaar number as a prerequisite identification document for benefits under school-related schemes.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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