Curious Case of Aadhaar: How a Woman's Name Came in the Way of Her Daughters' Education in Delhi

New Delhi: Kumari Rekha is a domestic worker in Delhi. She ekes out a living by toiling tirelessly from one house to the other in order to feed her two daughters – Beauty and Pinki Rai.

The two young girls harbour dreams of a better future, one that is different from the harsh realities of their current life. These dreams, however, were curiously obstructed by an Aadhaar card.

Rekha’s school-going daughters were unable to attend classes at their government school. The authorities denied them permission because the mother’s name appearing on their Aadhaar card is different from the name mentioned in the school records.

When advocate Ashok Agarwal, president of the All India Parents Association, found out this, he decided to take the matter up with Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal.

Flagging the issue in a letter addressed to the CM, Agarwal said, “A government school has denied students to attend classes merely because the mother’s name appearing in the Aadhaar card differs from in school records.” Their father in 2012 and their mother Rekha has been working as maid in private houses, he added.

Beauty and Pinky were students of eighth and ninth standard in a government school in Bamnoli, sector 28, Dwarka. However, when the family moved houses in June 2019, the girls had to be enrolled to another school in their new neighbourhood.

“Accordingly, they approached the said school by way of formal application for admission of these students. The transfer request was sent to Rajkiya Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya New Ashok Nagar by the earlier school in Dwarka and was accepted by the authorities,” Agarwal stated in his letter. However, the school administration in Dwarka denied admission because of the discrepancy in the mother’s name.

Questioning this move, the activist complained that he failed to understand how the different name of mother of these students appearing in the Aadhaar card is relevant for the continuation of education of these students in Delhi government schools.

However, after taking cognizance of Agarwal’s letter to the CM, the school authorities have agreed to give admission to Rekha’s daughters.

“There is no justification on the part of the Rajkiya Sarvodaya Knaya Vidyalaya, New Ashok Nagar at all to deny these students to attend classes. It seems people running the school are insensitive to educational need of these students and particularly of these girls, “Agrawal wrote.