Shillong, July 22 (Reporter) Aadhaar card should not be the sole document to avail government-post matric scholarships and financial aid, the Meghalaya High Court said. A a division bench of the high court comprising of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh passed an interim order yesterday on a public interest litigation filed by social activist Greneth M Sangma, challenging a Meghalaya government notification on October 31, 2023 which mandated production of Aadhaar for students applying for post matric scholarship. “If an individual is unable to produce the Aadhaar number or card or is unwilling to obtain Aadhaar registration, then he would have to prove his identity as a resident in terms of the said Act from other recognised documents like pan card, voter card, passport and so on to the satisfaction of the State authorities. In that event, non-possession of an Aadhaar number or card would not be a disqualification,” the court said. However, the court said the State government is at full liberty to insist on production of Aadhaar number or Aadhaar card from individuals for their speedy identification. Sangma’s legal counsel P.T. Sangma referred to two judgments of the Supreme Court in the case K.S. Puttaswamy (Retired) and contended that under Section 7 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, the State government had issued a notification dated 31 October, 2023 insisting that a child desirous of availing of the benefit of the Fees Compensation for Post Matric Scholarship for SC/ST students (Free Studentship) (the scheme) or of financial assistance to the SC/ST students of the State who are not eligible for any scholarship had to possess an Aadhaar identification number. After a preliminary scrutiny of the Act, the court stated, “Prima facie, it does not follow that non-possession of an Aadhaar number disentitles an otherwise eligible individual from availing of the above benefits.” The court further noted that the entire issue needs to be examined in detail, taking into account the provisions of the Act, relevant rules and regulations, and Supreme Court judgments, along with other rulings related to the subject. The court has fixed the next hearing on August 12, 2025...////...