To help students obtain an Aadhaar card, which is mandatory for opening bank accounts and accessing student welfare schemes, an enrolment drive began at all the schools in Erode district on Monday.
Organised by the Education Department, the drive commenced at government, government-aided, and private schools in the district and will be conducted in a phased manner across all 14 panchayat unions. District Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara and Mayor S. Nagarathinam inspected the process at the Government Girls Model Higher Secondary School at Panneerselvam Park.
Enrolling agents from the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) will visit the schools to enrol students aged six and seven, while renewals will be done for students aged 16 and 17 free of cost. Students aged eight to 15 can renew their cards by paying the prescribed fee. Teachers mentioned that details of students, whether they have an Aadhaar number or not, can be obtained from the Educational Management Information System (EMIS), and students have been encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.
The Collector said the district is provided with 19 Aadhaar enrolment machines, and students can avail of the services on their school premises. Additionally, students can open bank accounts to benefit from welfare schemes, he added.
