No Aadhaar, no access to welfare schemes: officials offer to help tribal families in Maharashtra

Following The Hindu’s Spotlight report, ‘An anonymous life without an Aadhaar identity’ on August 17, government authorities from the Education and Tribal Departments, Aadhaar Seva Kendra, and the district administration, have reached out to NGOs to address the difficulties faced by families and children without Aadhaar or other government documents.

Many tribal families in Maharashtra remain excluded from welfare schemes, schooling, health care and ration because they don’t have Aadhaar cards, leaving children unable to secure school admissions or scholarships. Without an official identity, families face constant harassment, repeated rejection at government offices, and a life of invisibility, despite court rulings that essential services cannot be denied for want of Aadhaar.

Aadhaar is a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the Government of India. The number serves as a proof of identity and address in India. The Aadhaar number remains valid for life. Many services, including banking, phone, and government departments ask for it.

Rajashri Yewale, a supervisor with Pune-based Swadhar Institute for Development of Women & Children, a non-profit organisation working in slums and settlements, received a call from an Aadhaar Seva Kendra official. “The Aadhaar card officer enquired about the children who do not go to school. He reached out to me after reading the newspaper report in The Hindu. He assured me that he will look into the matter,” Ms. Yewale said.

In November 2024, the NGO prepared a list of 136 children without Aadhaar cards in various settlements and submitted it to the various government departments in the State. By August 2025, 16 children migrated with their parents. Ms. Yewale said for over one year, they had tried to address the issue by reaching out to various government departments but nothing happened.

Later in the evening, the same day, NGO coordinator Kalyani Jagtap also received a call from the same officer, who sought details of the affected families and children. “He shared his Email id and asked me to submit the list of children who require an Aadhaar card along with other government documents such as birth certificates. I have submitted a list of 120 children to him. The officer has given assurance to address it at the earliest,” she said.

For every child

On Monday (August 18, 2025), the NGO also received calls from the Education Department. “The officials asked us what we needed. We told them we want not just enrolment, but also government documents created — birth certificates, Aadhaar, voter ID, and bank accounts — for every parent and child. They assured us that the children would be registered on the Maharashtra Education Department’s Systematic Administrative Reforms for Achieving Learning (SARAL) portal and will be benefited by the direct beneficiary transfers that will allow them to receive uniforms, stationery, notebooks and allowances under the Right to Education Act,” Ms. Jagtap added.

SARAL portal asks for every student’s Aadhaar, as it helps link students to government schemes such as scholarships, free uniforms and textbooks.