Overview
- The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment issued a notification on Oct. 14, 2026 requiring Aadhaar authentication or proof of possession of an Aadhaar number to receive PM CARES for Children Special Scholarship benefits.
- The notification explicitly says no child will be denied the scholarship for lacking an Aadhaar number or failing authentication and requires departments to verify identity by other documented means in such cases.
- Children without Aadhaar must be helped to enroll, and those awaiting an Aadhaar number may use an enrolment acknowledgement plus an age document and a photo ID to show relationship with a parent or guardian.
- The rules list specific alternative documents for foreign minors and guardianship cases, offer fallback authentication such as other biometric modes or OTP when biometrics fail, and require records of alternative-verification cases for periodic review and audit.
- The change aims to tighten identity checks for benefit delivery while seeking to limit exclusion; watch for how local offices implement enrolment drives, document checks, and the mandated audits that will determine whether eligible children keep getting payments.