After a lukewarm response to the phase I of the Unique Identification Number (UID) scheme, the state government has decided to do away with majority of questions in phase II to boost registrations. The move may expedite the process but is likely to double the work for various agencies at a later stage. The registrations for AADHAR cards under phase II are likely to begin next month. Unlike in phase I,...

When India embarked on its “unique ID” project in the fall of 2010, pledging to distribute unique 12-digit numbers to 1.2 billion people, the hope was that hundreds of millions of Indians who don’t have a passport, driver’s license or other credible identity document would get one – and with it, a ticket to essential government and private sector services. A new survey led by Arun Sundararajan, a professor at New...

-PTI The security of the country will not be compromised by issue of Aadhaar cards for the people, as this does not confer right of citizenship to anyone including illegal migrants, Rajya Sabha was informed today. "Aadhaar does not confer citizenship nor does it by itself confer right of citizenship for illegal migrants, which will be determined by the relevant statutory and implementing authorities. "Hence, compromise of national security due to enrolments under...

Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh today frowned upon the state government and demanded greater reliability on the question of funds use after enduring a bumpy ride to a Dumka village, which to his surprise lacked road connectivity. Ramesh, who arrived in Dumka from Calcutta this morning, met self-help groups (SHGs) engaged in tussar silk production at Dhaka village, 30km from the district headquarters, in rebel-hit Shikaripara block. The minister appreciated...

-The Deccan Chronicle Unrecognised schools across the state have to seek “recognition” in order to admit 25 per cent poor students under the RTE quota. The government will reimburse the amount for the RTE quota only in recognised schools. In Hyderabad alone, the department of secondary education has declared over 300 private schools as “unrecognised” two mon-ths ago, while as per estimates there are nearly 10,000 unrecognised schools across the state....