Once an Aadhaar Card is issued, the caste certificate or domicile certificate possessed by the individual can be linked to it. This process is managed by the State Government, as they are responsible for issuing caste certificates. The caste certificate categorises people as SC/ST or most backward class individuals. The local administration in all states ensures that people are enrolled in the Aadhaar system and then completes the linking process with the caste certificate. Even the poorest of the economically backward class is eligible to have their Aadhaar card linked to the caste certificate to receive government benefits. While this process can be tedious and face numerous bottlenecks, ongoing efforts are being made to ensure the success of this initiative.
Benefits of linking Aadhaar card to caste certificate
- Availability of scholarships: Students from backward classes and SC/ST categories can avail scholarships for their education by authenticating their caste on their Aadhaar card. State Governments ensure that students from 5th to 8th standards have their Aadhaar cards linked to their caste certificates.
- Admission to colleges/professional institutes: Economically backward students can gain free admissions and various allowances for higher studies. This linkage is mandatory for admissions into prestigious institutions like IITs, IIMs, and major universities, providing necessary authentication for these benefits.
- Reservation in politics: Linking Aadhaar cards with caste certificates ensures transparency and fair representation in political bodies. This helps allocate seats in election constituencies based on population, benefiting marginalised sections of society.
- Government employment: The Aadhaar-caste linkage helps reduce discrimination in government job recruitment. With accurate information and authentication, misuse of reservations and quotas can be eliminated, ensuring fairness in the system.
- Attack corruption: Linking caste certificates with Aadhaar cards helps eliminate corruption by spotting fake certificates used to gain subsidies or admissions. This linkage provides authentic information, helping authorities check the validity of documents provided, tackling the issue of fake certificates.
System to link Aadhaar card to caste certificate
- State government responsibility: The primary responsibility of linking Aadhaar cards to caste certificates lies with the State Government. While UIDAI issues Aadhaar cards, the State Government handles the actual groundwork.
- Efforts by state governments: State Governments drive efforts to ensure all individuals get an Aadhaar card. They issue caste or domicile certificates and link them to Aadhaar cards.
- Education sector focus: The government needs to link Aadhaar cards and caste certificates of all students in classes 10 and 12 within a month or two of their admission.
- Inclusive approach: For the most backward classes, the State Government shoulders the responsibility of this linkage irrespective of their education status, ensuring comprehensive coverage for all eligible individuals.
