Aadhaar now mandatory to avail benefits under skill development scheme for persons with disabilities: Govt

New Delhi: The Centre has made it mandatory for beneficiaries under the National Action Plan for Skill Development of Persons with Disabilities to either furnish their Aadhaar number or provide proof of having applied for it in order to receive scheme benefits.

At the same time, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment clarified that no eligible child would be denied benefits due to the lack of Aadhaar or authentication failure.

In a gazette notification, the ministry said Aadhaar authentication is essential for accessing cash benefits under the scheme, including transport allowance, boarding and lodging, conveyance and post-placement support.

The National Action Plan for Skill Development of Persons with Disabilities (NAP-SDP) is a central scheme launched in March 2015 by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD).

It aims to provide high-quality vocational training to enhance the skills of persons with disabilities (PwDs), enabling them to gain meaningful employment and become self-reliant. The scheme is part of the larger "Scheme for Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act" (SIPDA).

The notification clarified that if an eligible individual does not have an Aadhaar number, they must apply for enrolment.

For children, such application must be made with the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

Until Aadhaar is assigned, beneficiaries can establish their identity using specified alternative documents, including birth certificates, school records or legal adoption or guardianship papers.

The ministry has instructed its implementing agencies to set up Aadhaar enrolment centres at accessible locations or become registrars themselves to facilitate enrolment and updates for persons with disabilities.

In cases where biometric Aadhaar authentication fails due to reasons like poor fingerprint or iris quality, alternative methods such as OTP-based authentication, Aadhaar QR code scanning or offline e-KYC verification may be used, the notification said.

To raise awareness, the ministry will also undertake a media campaign informing beneficiaries about the Aadhaar requirement.

A designated officer will verify submitted enrolment and identity documents through the UIDAI portal and may seek assistance from other government departments.

The notification comes into effect from the date of its publication in the official gazette -- which is July 2.