5.5 lakh Maharashtra students yet to update Aadhaar; minister assures no loss of benefits

Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse on Thursday said that while 5.5 lakh students in the state are yet to update their Aadhaar IDs, no one is being deprived of any government scheme benefits. The minister was responding to a written question by BJP legislator Shrikant Bharatiya in the legislative council regarding the mandatory requirement for students to update their biometrics and the potential impact of delays on their academic progress.

"It is true that as of May 2026, around 5.5 lakh students up to the age of 18 in both urban and rural areas have been found with non-updated Aadhaar cards," Bhuse said, but clarified that the government is ensuring this does not lead to any educational hurdles. Bharatiya had sought to know if the lack of updated Aadhaar cards was causing difficulties for students in securing school admissions, accessing scholarship schemes, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), filling examination forms, or linking bank accounts.

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While acknowledging the number of pending updates, the minister denied that students were facing such obstacles. "It is not true that students are facing difficulties in school admissions or other educational processes due to non-updated Aadhaar cards," he informed the House.

Providing details on the government's efforts to streamline the process, Bhuse said that as per a Government Resolution (GR) dated April 21, 2015, a specific period from April 27 to June 26 was designated for the creation and linking of Aadhaar cards for every child admitted to schools.

"The process of updating Aadhaar is currently underway through special camps organised in schools. Constant efforts are being made at the school and taluka levels to ensure Aadhaar registration for those who do not have it and to complete the authentication process for others," he said. The school education department has issued clear instructions to ensure that no student remains deprived of any government benefits or educational opportunities while the registration and update drive continues across the state, the minister added.