Pre matric scholarship for SC and others under section 7 of the Aadhaar Act 2016

4000 GI/202 3 (1) EXTRAORDINARY PART II —Section 3 —Sub-section ( ii) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 2643] NEW DELHI, FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2023/ASHADHA 2, 194 5 CG-DL-E-23062023-246772 MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (Department of Social Justice and Empowerment ) NOTIFICATION New Delhi , the 23rd June, 2023 S.O. 2763 (E).—Whereas, the use of Aadhaar as identity document for delivery of services or benefits or subsidies simplifies the Government delivery p rocesses, brings in transparency and efficiency, and enables beneficiaries to get their entitlements directly to them in a convenient and seamless manner and Aadhaar obviates the need for producing multiple documents to prove one’s identity; And whereas, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, is administering the Pre -Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Castes & Others (hereinafter referred to as the Scheme ). The objective of t his Centrally Sponsored Scheme is to support through financial assistance parents of children belonging to Schedule Caste and other disadvantaged categories for education of their wards studying at Pre -Matric stage so that their participation improves, the incidence of drop out – especially in the transition from the primary to the next level and elementary to the secondary stage – is minimized, they perform better and have better chance of progressing to the Post -Matric stage of education., which is being implemented through National Scholarship Portal (NSP) and States/Union Territories (hereinafter referred to as the Implementing Agencies ); And whereas, under the Scheme, Scholarship ( hereinafter referred to as the benefit ) is given to the Schedule Caste Students and Others ( hereinafter referred to as the beneficiaries ), by the Implementing Agency as per the Scheme and extant guid elines issued thereunder; And whereas, the implementation of the Scheme involves recurring expenditure incurred from the Consolidated Fund of India; Now, therefore, in pursuance of section 7 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidie s, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (18 of 2016) ( hereinafter referred to as the said Act ), the Central Government hereby notifies the following, namely: - 1. (1) a child desirous of availing the benefit under the Scheme shall be required to furnish proof of possession of the Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication. (2) any child desirous of availing the benefit under the Scheme, who does not possess the Aadhaar number or has not yet enrolled for Aadhaar, shall be required to make application for Aadhaar enrolment subject to the consent of his parents or guardians, before registering for the Scheme provided he is entitled to obtain Aadhaar as per section 3 of the said Act and such children shall visit any Aadhaar enrolment centre (list avai lable at Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) website www.uidai.gov.in ) to get enrolled for Aadhaar. (3) as per regulation 12 of the Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations, 2016, the Ministry/Departm ent through its Implementing Agency, is required to offer Aadhaar enrolment facilities for the beneficiaries who are not yet enrolled for Aadhaar and in case there is no Aadhaar enrolment centre located in the respective Block or Taluka or Tehsil, the Mini stry/Department through its Implementing Agency shall provide Aadhaar enrolment facilities at convenient locations in coordination with the existing Registrars of UIDAI or by becoming UIDAI Registrar themselves: Provided that till the time Aadhaar is assig ned to the individual, the benefit under the Scheme shall be given to such individuals, subject to production of the following documents, namely: - (a) (i) if the beneficiary was enrolled after the age of five years (with biometrics collection), his Aadhaar Enrolment Identification slip, or of bio -metric update identification slip, or; (ii) a copy of the request made for Aadhaar enrolment by the beneficiary; and (b) any one of the following identity documents of the beneficiary, namely: - (i) Birth Cert ificate; or Record of birth issued by the appropriate authority; or (ii) School identity card, duly signed by the Principal of the school, containing parents names; and (c) any one of the following documents as proof of relationship of the beneficiary with the parent or legal guardian as per the extant Scheme guidelines, namely: – (i) Birth Certificate; or Record of birth issued by the appropriate authority; or (ii) Ration Card; or (iii) Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Card; or Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Card; or Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Card; or (iv) Pension Card; or (v) Army Canteen Card; or (vi) any Government Family Entitlement Card; or (vii) any other document as specified by the Ministry/Department: Provided further that the above do cuments shall be checked by an officer specifically designated by the Ministry/Department for that purpose. 2. In order to provide benefits to the beneficiaries under the Scheme conveniently, the Ministry/Department through its Implementing Agency shall ma ke all the required arrangements to ensure that wide publicity through media shall be given to the beneficiaries to make them aware of the requirement of Aadhaar under the Scheme. 3. Where Aadhaar authentication fails due to poor biometrics of the benefic iaries or due to any other reason, the following remedial mechanisms shall be adopted, namely: - (a) in case of poor fingerprint quality, iris scan or face authentication facility shall be adopted for authentication and the Ministry/Department through its Imple menting Agency shall make provisions for iris scanners or face authentication along with finger print authentication for delivery of benefits in seamless manner; (b) in case the biometric authentication through fingerprints or iris scan or face authentication is not successful, wherever feasible and admissible authentication by Aadhaar One Time Password or Time - based One -Time Password with limited time validity, as the case may be, shall be offered; (c) in all other cases where biometric or Aadhaar One Time Passwo rd or Time -based One -Time Password authentication is not possible, benefits under the Scheme may be given on the basis of physical Aadhaar letter whose authenticity can be verified through the Quick Response code printed on the Aadhaar letter and the necessary arrangement of Quick Response code reader shall be provided at the convenient locations by the Ministry/Department through its Implementing Agency. 4. Notwithstanding anything contained herein above, no child shall be denied benefit under the Scheme in case of failure to establish his identity by undergoing authentication, or furnishing proof of possession of Aadhaar number, or in the case of a child to whom no Aadhaar number has been assigned, producing an application for enrolment, the benefi t shall be given to him by verifying his identity on the basis of other documents as mentioned in clauses (b) and (c) of the proviso of sub -paragraph (3) of paragraph 1, and where benefit is given on the basis of such other documents, a separate register s hall be maintained to record the same, which shall be reviewed and audited periodically by the Ministry/Department through its Implementing Agency. 5. This notification shall come into effect on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette in all the States and Union territories. [F. No 14017/ 9 /2023 -DBT] KALYANI CHADHA, Jt. Secy. Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring R oad, Mayapuri, New Delhi -110064 and Published by the Controller of Pu blications, Delhi -110054.