Maharashtra State Board makes Aadhaar must for filing exam forms

Mumbai: Despite a Supreme Court order restraining the government from making Aadhaar mandatory for any and every service, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has made the same mandatory for filling examination forms for SSC and HSC exams.

The exams will be held in February, March 2018. According to officials, the initiative is meant to help students to benefit from education schemes that the government has announced or will announce. While last year a similar condition had been imposed, the board had withdrawn it as most students did not have an Aadhaar card. This year, however, according to sources, the board may not relent.

Speaking about the problem they faced while filling the form for the board exam, a parent from the western suburbs said, “My son was studying in an ICSE school till class IX, but we decided to move to SSC board as he was finding ICSE difficult.

But on Saturday, when we tried to fill the form online, it could not be filled, as Aadhaar card was mandatory. It takes a lot of time for the card to be issued so I am afraid that my son may not be able to fill the exam form and will be denied the opportunity to appear for the exam,” said the parent.  

When asked about the same, Krishna Patil, secretary, MSBSHSE, Pune said, “The government’s initiative is aimed at benefiting the student as well as keep a track of their academic progress. At the same time to ensure that there are no bogus students appearing.

As bank accounts and academic depository are also linked to Aadhaar cards, filling Aadhaar card number will be a win-win situation for the students,” said Mr Patil.

When informed of the problems students are facing while filling the form and the criteria being withdrawn last year, he said that the board would take up the issue and a resolution for the problem would be announced soon.

However, sources in the board hinted that the criteria might not be relaxed this year.

Aadhaar is mandatory for

• Filing returns and taxes, PAN cards
• Buying residence, vehicles and assets
• Getting gas cylinders
• Telephones
• Buying fertilisers
• Registering marriages and issuing of death certificates.