Lack of Aadhaar casts shadow over education of tribal students in Edamalakkudy in Kerala
Government LP School at Edamalakkudy in Munnar. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL EDITING
As a new academic year approaches, many students from Edamalakkudy, Kerala’s first tribal panchayat, are at risk of being deprived of government benefits due to low Aadhaar numbers. According to officials, school officials are unable to register students at the following address:government portal Samagra,This is without ID cards.
A total of 67 students are currently studying in upper and lower primary schools at Government Tribal LP School in Edamalakkudy. “Only 28 of them have Aadhaar numbers. Last year, 16 students joined the school, but only two had these numbers. Without proper registration on the government portal, their information cannot be processed by the Education department. Only five students have joined so far this academic year and only three have Aadhaar numbers. We can register them without cards, but they will not get any benefits,” said a source.
No bank account
Additionally, in order to benefit from government-approved grants, students must have an account in a nationalized bank. “Only nine students in the school have bank accounts, of which only four are in nationalized banks. Lack of proper caste and birth certificates is also a major hurdle in providing required funds for children here,” the source added.
To get an Aadhaar card, locals have to travel around 40 kilometers to Munnar. “If the authorities organize a special study, it will be easier for students to obtain the necessary certificates. There is now network connectivity in the settlement to facilitate the process,” the source said.
“Last year, 16 children joined Class I, but only three or four attended classes regularly. The children come from remote settlements. A mentor was earlier appointed by the Block Resource Center to accompany them to and from school. However, last year, the government cut the mentor position due to the financial crisis, which severely affected student attendance,” the source said.
“The required number of students had enrolled in Class I in Edamalakkudy in the academic year 2024-25. However, the teaching post approved for Class I was canceled as many of them did not have Aadhaar numbers,” the source said. (Teacher positions are created according to the determined number of students.)
“Although primary education was upgraded to the first level,As per Government Order 2023, the required number of teaching posts in the upper primary school have still not been created. The decision envisaged appointments to be made through Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK), but the financial constraints faced by SSK had a negative impact on the process. “Given that these children belong to the only tribal panchayat in Kerala, the government needs to create the necessary positions without further delay,” he said.
Authorities’ version
Edamalakkudy panchayat president Binu M. said that the local body is seriously dealing with the issue and there is a shortage of birth certificates.remains a major obstacle. “We have started a project called ‘Peruma’ to provide birth certificates and Aadhaar cards to children. We have already collected 13 applications and will ensure everything is provided within a month,” Mr. Binu said.
Devikulam Sub-Collector VM Arya said that the Local Self-Government and other departments have made numerous efforts to distribute the certificates. “But we have received a low response from the tribal community. The department will continue follow-up efforts to ensure everyone receives their certificates,” the official said.
It was published – 22 May 2026 08:27 IST
