Aadhar-linked scholarships a problem for Odisha's SC/ST students

The Centre's decision to provide scholarships to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students through the national scholarship portal with Aadhar numbers being mandatory has riled up the governing party in the state, Biju Janata Dal, according to Odiya daily Sambad.

The minister of state for tribal welfare, Sudam Marandi, claimed that SC/ST students were getting scholarships through the state government's Prerana portal, and the money was transferred directly to their bank accounts. But he said the new move to make Aadhar mandatory for such transfers will deprive many recipients of their dues.

The state has one of the lowest registration percentages when it comes to Aadhar cards.

"As the Aadhar registration is yet to be completed, this plan should not be implemented," he said, adding that the state already had a foolproof mechanism for delivery of scholarships.

State BJP spokerperson Sajjan Sharma, however, said the Aadhar requirement will expose the ruling BJD government's forgery in scholarship distribution.