Telangana behind in enrolment of 0-18 age group for Aadhaar

Hyderabad: Though TS and AP are ranked among the top-10 states in the country in achieving Aadhaar saturation, the two states lag behind in Aadhaar enrolment in the 0 to 5 and 5-18 age-groups.

While TS performed well in the overall Aadhaar saturation of over 100 per cent, AP recorded 97 per cent. But when it comes to Aadhaar enrolment in 0-5 years and 5-18 years groups, the two states achieved 65 per cent and 86 per cent, respectively, as on October 31, 2016.

As per UIDAI estimates, the population of TS in 2015 was projected at 3,72,53,813, but 3,77,72,417 Aadhaar cards were already issued, a whopping 101 per cent. TS was ranked second in the country.

Similarly, AP's population was projected at 5,22,29,924, and 5,04,03,108 Aadhaar cards were issued, amounting to 97 per cent. AP is ranked ninth in Aadhaar saturation.

But when it comes to Aadhaar enrolment of infants in the age group of 0-5 years, both TS and AP put together achieved saturation of only 65 per cent and in 5-18 years groups, they achieved 85.5 per cent. Comparatively in 0-5 years group, Haryana topped the country with 72.7 per cent saturation.

In 5-18 year groups, Delhi remained at the top with Aadhaar saturation of 101.8 per cent, followed by Chandigarh (95.1 per cent), Daman & Diu (90.7 per cent), Haryana (90.7 per cent), A&N Islands (89.1 per cent), Puducherry (88.7 per cent), Punjab (88,.2 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (87.9 per cent), Chhattisgarh (87.8 per cent), Dadra & Nagar Haveli (87.6 per cent), Goa (87.2 per cent), Kerala (87.1 per cent), Jharkhand (86.5 per cent).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prescribed a deadline of March 2017 to achieve 100 per cent Aadhaar saturation in all categories. Deputy director general of UIDAI regional office, Hyderabad, M.V.S. Rami Reddy said, “We have taken up a special enrolment drive for students in schools and colleges, who fall in the age group of 0-5 years and 5-18 years respectively. The drive has been successful with Aadhaar enrolment increasing by over 30 per cent within five months. We hope to meet 100 per cent saturation within the March 2017 deadline.”

The Centre is keen on 100 per cent Aadhaar saturation in 0-5 year and 5-18 groups for the effective monitoring of service deliveries to children like immunisation, Integrated Child Development Scheme, scholarship and fellowship programmes for students and other social welfare services like food security, LPG connections, pensions etc.

Mr Reddy said the UIDIA has been providing training and certification to identified operators to take up enrolment of infants in hospitals. Hospitals have to purchase tablets and authentication devices to operate Child Enrolment Lite Client, a special portable application devised for Aadhaar enrolment of children below 5 years. Their enrolment number is printed on birth certificate and this data is saved in the Registrar General of India and UIDAI database.

Plans to enrol newborns in hospitals yet to take off
The TS government’s scheme to facilitate issuing of Aadhaar cards for newborns along with birth certificates in hospitals has failed to take off. Though an announcement was made in this regard in June this year, it is yet to come into force.

The UIDAI has developed a special Android-based portable application for children since their fingerprints and irises are difficult to be scanned. The special application is operational on tablets, which the government is yet to procure. Municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao announced the scheme as part of “100-day action plan” for GHMC in February this year.

The scheme was envisaged to ensure that no one is left out of Aadhaar coverage by enrolling them soon after birth in hospital itself. It was also intended to provide multiple benefits such as facilitating parents to get birth certificates of their kids directly through online mode with EID numbers given at the time of enrolment.

However, officials took four months to prepare a roadmap on how to implement the scheme. Finally, they came out with an announcement in June that the initiative would be first launched in government hospitals and will be extended to private hospitals in a phased manner. Over four months later, the scheme is yet to see the light of the day.