Telangana will make Aadhaar enrolment and mandatory biometric update services available at mandal educational officer offices and junior colleges during the Dasara holidays, giving students and the general public access to essential identity services when regular educational institutions are closed.
The arrangement has been directed by the school education department and Samagra Shiksha for the holiday period beginning October 12, according to Samagra Shiksha state project director Dr E. Naveen Nicolas. The camps will support children who do not yet have Aadhaar numbers and students whose mandatory biometric updates are pending.
The services will be organised at MEO offices and junior colleges. Officials have also been instructed to make other applicable Aadhaar services available to the public, subject to guidelines issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
Mandal educational officers must inform headmasters about the camp schedules and venues. Headmasters have been asked to communicate the details to students, parents and guardians, with particular attention to children whose mandatory biometric updates remain incomplete. The department has encouraged eligible students and families to use the holiday-period facilities.
The instructions also address the cost of accessing the services. Officials have been prohibited from collecting unauthorised charges, and all fees must comply with UIDAI-prescribed rates. Services that are exempt from fees under UIDAI rules must be provided free of cost.
Mandatory biometric updates are required in specified cases as children grow older, making access to authorised facilities important for students whose records need to be refreshed. The department’s decision to use education offices and junior colleges creates additional service points within the local administrative network, although the supplied information does not specify the number of camps, their daily timings or the districts covered.
The arrangement places responsibility on MEOs and headmasters to ensure that families receive information about the locations and schedules. The next operational step is the communication of camp details to schools, students and parents before and during the Dasara holiday period.
