Have you been sitting on a bulky wallet bursting with a whole bunch of plastic cards? In all probability, there’s a good chance your wallet has less cash and more cards, which makes it look like you’re carrying the entire Constitution of India in your pocket.
And if carrying your Credit Card, Debit Card, Shopping Card, Visiting Card and PAN Card wasn’t enough, you will now be required to carry yet another card along with these.
That’s right! We’re talking about your Aadhaar Card. By the way, did you know that you can now use your Aadhaar Card to make payments too?
Additional Reading: The Beginner’s Guide To Aadhar Pay
The Aadhaar Card has now been made mandatory for a range of government related schemes and processes. Recently, it was announced that the Aadhaar Card should be mandatory even for children who were served mid-day meals from June onwards.
Post that announcement, five central government ministries have issued a series of notifications for 11 other schemes.
The entire scheme list is as follows:
| SI No | Ministry | Date of Notification | Scheme | Aadhaar required for | Deadline for implementation |
| 1 | Social Justice & Empowerment | March 3, 2017 | National Action Plan for Skill Training of Persons with Disabilities | Disabled people claiming cash benefits namely, transport cost, boarding and lodging cost, conveyance cost, cost for post placement support etc | Apply by June 30, 2017 |
| 2 | Social Justice & Empowerment | March 3, 2017 | Central Sector Scholarship Schemes | Pre-matric, post-matric, fellowship, coaching facilities, overseas scholarship for disabled, all allowances to those with disabilities such as tuition, transport maintenance etc | Apply by June 30, 2017 |
| 3 | Social Justice & Empowerment | March 3, 2017 | Scheme of Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase and, or, Fitting of Aids and Appliances | Travelling allowances, boarding and lodging expenses to the Persons with Disabilities, and attendants or escorts as per norms | Apply by June 30, 2017 |
| 4 | Human Resource Development | March 3, 2017 | Saakshar Bharath | Basic literacy and numeracy for adult non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above and basic education opportunities through Equivalency Programme for classes – III, V, and VIII to neo-literates and school dropouts, and lifelong education plus honorariams of teachers, staff | Apply by March 31, 2018 |
| 5 | Human Resource Development | March 2, 2017 | Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan | Salary or honorarium to teachers or staff to impart education to children and to implement the scheme | Apply by June 30, 2017 |
| 6 | Human Resource Development | March 2, 2017 | Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan | Children between the ages 6 to 14 for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan benefits such as textbooks and uniforms. Other provisions of the act intended to benefit children include opening new schools, expanding existing ones, providing toilets and drinking water and teacher training | Apply by June 30, 2017 |
| 7 | Health and Family Welfare | March 3, 2017 | National Health Mission | Monthly remuneration to contractual medical, non-medical and paramedical staff | Apply by March 31, 2017 |
| 8 | Health and Family Welfare | March 3, 2017 | National Health Mission | Incentives to and expenditures of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) | Apply by March 31, 2017 |
| 9 | Labour and Employment | February 27, 2017 | National Career Services | Training of unemployed people, career guidance, employment offices | Apply by February 27, 2017 |
| 10 | Labour and Employment | February 27, 2017 | National Career Services | Stipend to Trainees under the Scheme of Welfare for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Job-seekers through Coaching, Guidance and Vocational Training implemented by the National Career Services Centre | Apply by February 27, 2017 |
| 11 | Women and Child Development | February 25, 2017 | Support to Training and Employment Programme | Financial assistance and training to women to help them to become self-employed entrepreneurs | Apply by June 30, 2017 |
| 12 | Women and Child Development | February 23, 2017 | Ujjawala Scheme under the Protection and Empowerment of Women Scheme | Prevention of trafficking, rescue and rehabilitation of victims of sex trafficking; staff salaries, food, clothes, sanitary items, medical care, vocational training of women beneficiaries | Apply by March 31, 2017 |
| 13 | Women and Child Development | February 23, 2017 | Swadhar Greh Scheme | Rehabilitation of women who are victims of unfortunate circumstances, staff salaries, facilities for women beneficiaries | Apply by September 30, 2017 |
| 14 | Human Resource Development | February 21, 2017 | Support to NGOs/Institutions/ SRCs for Adult Education and Skill Development | Technical and academic resources for adult education; support to NGOs, institutions, state resource centres for implementation, skill training to adult non-literates and neo-literates through district-level Jan Shikshan Sansthans | Apply by March 31, 2017 |
Additionally, Aadhaar Card is now mandatory for the issuance of a driver’s license as well. In a move to clamp down on multiple driving licenses under one name, the centre will now make it mandatory for states to make Aadhaar identification necessary. This strategy is expected to prevent the issuance of multiple licenses for fake identities and other such criminal offences.
Additional Reading: How To Apply For A Driving Licence Online
However, if you haven’t already applied for your Aadhaar Card yet, it is advisable to apply for it right now. Don’t worry about standing in long queues in the baking sun. You can also apply for an Aadhaar Card online.
If you already have an Aadhaar Card, we have a bunch of other cards to offer you.