Today, August 8, Tuesday, the Odisha government said that an Aadhaar card is not mandatory or a prerequisite for the admission of a student to any school in the state. In a letter to all district education officers, the state School and Mass Education Department secretary Aswathy S said that children must be allowed to be admitted to schools with or without an Aadhaar card, as stated in a report by PTI. 

The letter read, "It was instructed earlier that the admission of students should be hassle-free and smooth and in no case, parents shall face inconvenience during the admission of their children." Further, giving more details, it said that after admission students should be facilitated for obtaining Aadhaar cards by coordinating with various offices of the district.

Additionally, the secretary asked the district education officers to communicate and inform all headmasters and headmistresses for the smooth admission of students. Moreover, any deviation would be viewed seriously, the letter warned, as stated in a report by PTI.

However, as per reports online, the academic session has already started and admission is also continuing in a few schools as per need. To recall, the Odisha government had earlier instructed the officials to ensure that the admission of students should be conducted in a hassle-free manner and in no case, parents should face inconvenience during the admission of their children.