Home ministry issues notification making Aadhaar mandatory for benefits under scheme for civilian victims of terror, communal violence

New Delhi: Aadhaar will be required for getting benefits under a central government scheme for providing financial assistance to family members of victims of violence perpetrated by terrorists or Naxals, and communal riots. In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said an eligible beneficiary desirous of receiving the benefit under the ‘Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims/Family of Victims of Terrorist/Communal/LWE Violence and Cross Border Firing and Mine/IED blasts on Indian Territory’ is required to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication. Any eligible beneficiary desirous of receiving a benefit under the scheme, who does not possess the Aadhaar number or, has not yet enrolled for Aadhaar, shall have to apply for Aadhaar enrolment. [caption id=“attachment_3508129” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Aadhaar cards. CNN News 18[/caption] The home ministry said the notification comes into effect in all states and union territories except Assam and Meghalaya, where Aadhaar has not covered all residents. “The assistance is given by the state governments and the home ministry reimburses the state governments when it gets their demand. The annual budget for the scheme is broadly in the range of Rs six to seven crore,” a senior home ministry official said. The notification said the ministry through the implementing agency is required to offer Aadhaar enrolment facilities for the eligible beneficiary, who is not yet enrolled for Aadhaar and in case there is no Aadhaar enrolment centre located in the respective Block or Taluka or Tehsil. Till the time Aadhaar is assigned to the beneficiary, benefit under the scheme shall be given to such beneficiary subject to the production of the Aadhaar enrolment identification slip if he or she has enrolled and any one of the following: bank or post office passbook with photo; or voter identification card; or PAN card; or ration card; or passport; or kisan photo passbook; or driving licence or certificate of identity having photo of such person issued by a gazetted officer or a tehsildar on an official letterhead; or Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Job Card; or any other document as specified by the ministry. In order to provide convenient and hassle-free benefit to the beneficiary under the scheme, the ministry through the implementing agency or other means shall make all the required arrangements to ensure that wide publicity through media is given to the beneficiary to make them aware of the requirement of Aadhaar under the scheme. In all cases, where Aadhaar authentication fails due to poor biometrics of the beneficiary or due to any other reason, the following remedial mechanisms shall be adopted. In case of poor fingerprint quality, IRIS scan or face authentication facility shall be adopted for authentication, thereby the ministry through the implementing agency shall make provisions for IRIS scanners or face authentication along with fingerprint authentication for delivery of benefits in a seamless manner. In the case of biometric authentication through fingerprints or IRIS or face authentication is not successful, wherever feasible and admissible authentication by Aadhaar One Time Password (OTP) or Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) with limited time validity, as the case may be, shall be offered. In all other cases where biometric or OTP or TOTP authentication is not possible, benefit may be given on the basis of physical Aadhaar letter whose authenticity can be verified through the QR code printed on the Aadhaar letter and the necessary arrangement of QR code reader shall be provided at the convenient locations by the ministry through the implementing agency.