The BMC education officer has sent notices to 100 school headmasters in Mumbai, warning of disciplinary action against them for not updating the Aadhaar card data of students. The state had asked schools to update aadhaar details of students on its portal so they can avail of various schemes like the midday meal as well as to appoint teachers as per the number of students. But it was found that many students in BMC schools do not have aadhaar cards, while others have cards with errors. The headmasters' association says that teachers cannot be blamed for students who don’t have aadhaar cards or have cards with errors.

Why it is mandatory

The registration of students with their Aadhaar numbers is mandatory on student portals for all government, aided, and unaided schools. The card has been made mandatory from January 2023 to avail of benefits like the mid-day meal scheme. Even text books, uniforms and other facilities are based on the Aadhaar details. The registration process is carried out by schools and teachers every year. As per the latest data, there are 3,18,002 students enrolled for the year 2021-22 in BMC schools out of which about 35,000 students' Aadhaar cards haven’t been updated till date.