21085

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ. (EXTRA), NOVEMBER 21, 2024 (KRTK 30, 1946 SAKA)

EXTRAORDINARY

Published by Authority

CHANDIGARH, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2024 (KARTIKA 30, 1946SAKA)

( 21085 )

GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB

DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION

(EDUCATION-7 BRANCH)

NOTIFICATION

The 1st October, 2024

No. I/939913/2024.–Whereas, the use of Aadhaar as an identity document for delivery of

services or benefits or subsidies simplifies the Government delivery processes, brings in transparency

and efficiency, and enables beneficiaries to get their entitlements directly in a convenient and seamless

manner by obviating the need to produce multipie documents to prove one's identity;

And whereas, the Department of School Education (hereinafter referred to as the Department),

is administering the Free Text books (hereinafter referred to as the Scheme) to provide Text Books

to all the students of classes 1st to 12th (Except 1st to 8th Non SC students), Which is being

implemented by the Department of School Education (hereinafter referred to as the Implementing

Agency);

And whereas, under the Scheme, All the students studying in the Government & Government

Aided Schools, have been provided the Free Text Books. (hereinafter referred to as the benefit), by

the Implementing Agency as per the Scheme and extant guidelines;

And whereas, the aforesaid Scheme involves recurring expenditure incurred from the Consolidated

Fund of Punjab;

Now, therefore, in pursuance of section 7 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and

Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (18 of 2016) (hereinafter referred to as the said

Act), the government of Punjab hereby notifies the following, namely:-

(1) A child desirous of availing the benefit under the Scheme shall hereby be required to furnish

proof of possession of the Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication.

(2)

Any child desirous of availing the benefit under the Scheme, who does not possess the

Aadhaar number or, has not yet enrolled for Aadhaar, shall be required to make application

for Aadhaar enrolment subject to the consent of his parents or guardians, before registering

for the Scheme provided that he/she is entitled to obtain Aadhaar as per section 3 of the

said Act and such children shall visit any Aadhaar enrolment centre (list available at the

21086

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ. (EXTRA), NOVEMBER 21, 2024 (KRTK 30, 1946 SAKA)

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) website www.uidai.gov.in) to get enrolled for

Aadhaar.

(3) As per regulation 12 of the Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations, 2016, the

Department through its Implementing Agency, is required to offer Aadhaar enrolment facilities

for the beneficiaries, who are not yet enrolled for Aadhaar and in case there is no Aadhaar

enrolment centre located in the respective Block or Taluka or Tehsil, the Department through

its Implementing Agency shall provide Aadhaar enrolment facilities at convenient locations in

coordination with the existing Registrars of UIDAI or by becoming a UIDAI Registrar

themselves:

Provided that till the time Aadhaar is assigned to the child, the benefit under the Scheme shall be

given to such children subject to production of the following documents, namely:-

(a)

(i) if the child has been enrolled after attaining the age of five years (with biometrics collection),

his/her Aadhaar Enrolment Identification slip, or of bio-metric update identification slip; and

(b)

any one of the following documents, namely:-

(i)

Birth Certificate; or Record of birth issued by the appropriate authority; or

(ii)

School identity card, duly signed by the Principal of the school, containing parents' names; and

(c)

any one of the following documents as proof of relationship of the beneficiary with the parent or

legal guardian as per the extant Scheme guidelines, namely:-

(i)

Birth Certificate; or Record of birth issued by the appropriate authority; or

(ii)

Ration Card; or

(iii)

Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Card; or Employees' State Insurance

Corporation (ESIC) Card; or Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Card; or

(iv)

Pension Card; or

(v)

Army Canteen Card; or

(vi)

any Government Family Entitlement Card; or

(vii) any other document as specified by the Department:

Provided further that the above documents shall be checked by an officer specifically designated

by the Department for that purpose.

In order to provide benefits to the beneficiaries under the Scheme conveniently, the Department

through its Implementing Agency shall make all the required arrangements to ensure that wide publicity

through media shall be given to the beneficiaries to make them aware of the said requirement.

In all cases, where Aadhaar authentication fails due to poor biometrics of the beneficiaries or due

to any other reason, the following remedial mechanisms shall be adopted, namely:-

(a)

in case of poor fingerprint quality, iris scan or face authentication facility shall be adopted

for authentication, thereby the Department through its Implementing Agency shall make provisions

for iris scanners or face authentication along with finger-print authentication for delivery of benefits

in seamless manner;

(b)

in case the biometric authentication through fingerprints or iris scan or face authentication is

not successful, wherever feasible and admissible authentication by Aadhaar One Time Password

or Time-based One-Time Password with limited time validity, as the case may be, shall be offered;

(c)

in all other cases where biometric or Aadhaar One Time Password (OTP) or Time-based

21087

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ. (EXTRA), NOVEMBER 21, 2024 (KRTK 30, 1946 SAKA)

One-Time Password authentication is not possible, benefits under the scheme may be given on the

basis of physical Aadhaar letter whose authenticity can be verified through the Quick Response

(QR) code printed on the Aadhaar letter and the necessary arrangement of QR code reader shall

be provided at the convenient locations by the Department through its Implementing Agency.

Notwithstanding anything contained herein above, no child shall be denied benefit under the

Scheme in case of failure to establish his identity by undergoing authentication, or furnishing proof of

possession of Aadhaar number, or in the case of a child to whom no Aadhaar number has been

assigned, producing an application for enrolment. The benefit shall be given to him/her by verifying his

identity on the basis of other documents, as mentioned in clauses (b) and (c) of the proviso of sub-

paragraph (3) of paragraph 1, and where benefit is given on the basis of such other documents, a

separate register shall be maintained to record the same, which shall be reviewed and audited

periodically by the Department through its Implementing Agency.

This notification shall come into effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

KAMAL KISHOR YADAV, IAS

Chandigarh

Secretary to Government of Punjab

The 27th September, 2024

Department of School Education

3248/11-2024/Pb. Govt. Press, S.A.S. Nagar