Lack of Aadhaar cards casts shadow over education of tribal students in Edamalakkudy in Kerala

With a new academic year just around the corner, many students from Edamalakkudy, Kerala’s first tribal panchayat, are at risk of being denied government benefits due to lack of Aadhaar cards. According to officials, school authorities cannot register students onthe government portal, Samagra,without these identification cards.

A total of 67 students are currently studying in the upper and lower primary classes at the Government Tribal LP School in Edamalakkudy. “Of them, only 28 have Aadhaar cards. Last year, 16 students joined the school, but only two had the cards. Without proper registration on the government portal, their details cannot be processed by the Education department. In the current academic year, only five students have joined so far, and only three have Aadhaar cards. We can enrol them without the card, but they will not receive any benefits,” a source said.

No bank accounts

Also, to receive government-approved grants, students must hold an account with a nationalised bank. “Only nine students in the school have bank accounts, and just four of those are with nationalised banks. The absence of proper caste and birth certificates is also a major hurdle in securing due allowances for children here,” the source added.

To obtain an Aadhaar card, local people must travel nearly 40 kilometres to Munnar. “If the authorities conduct a special drive, it will be easy for the students to get the required certificates. Network connectivity is now available in the settlement to facilitate the process,” the source noted.

“Last year, 16 children joined Class I, but only three or four attended the classes regularly. The children come from remote settlements. Previously, a mentor was appointed by the Block Resource Centre to escort them to and from school. However, last year, the government cut the mentor position due to financial crisis, which has severely affected student attendance,” the source added.

“In the 2024-25 academic year, the required number of students had enrolled in Class I at Edamalakkudy. However, since many of them did not possess Aadhaar cards, the teacher post sanctioned for Class I got cancelled,” said the source. (Teachers’ posts are created on the basis of a stipulated number of students.)

“Although the lower primary school was upgraded to anupper primary school as per a Government Order in 2023, the required number of teaching posts have still not been created. The order envisaged appointments through the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK), but the financial constraints faced by the SSK have adversely affected the process. Considering that these children belong to the only tribal panchayat in Kerala, the government should create the required posts without further delay,” said Sindhu S.S., former State programme officer, SSK.

Authorities’ version

Edamalakkudy panchayat president Binu M. said the local body is seriously addressing the issue, noting that the lack of birth certificatesremains a major obstacle. “We have launched a project named ‘Peruma’ to provide birth certificates and Aadhaar cards to the children. We have already collected 13 applications and would ensure everything is provided within one month,” Mr. Binu said.

Devikulam Subcollector V.M. Arya said that the Local Self-Government and other departments have made numerous efforts to distribute the certificates. “However, we received a low response from the tribal community. The department will continue its follow-up efforts to ensure everyone receives their certificates,” the official said.