No Aadhaar? Your PM CARES Scholarship Is Safe

Children enrolled in the PM CARES for Children scheme can still receive all scholarship benefits even without Aadhaar. The government accepts alternative identity documents during enrolment, so no child loses out on financial support.

Here's what happened: The Centre mandates Aadhaar authentication as the standard route for PM CARES for Children scheme enrolments and scholarship disbursements.. However, the government has clarified that absence of Aadhaar cannot be used to deny benefits — alternative identity documents are accepted at enrolment.. Children can be enrolled using documents like birth certificates or school IDs and later linked to Aadhaar, ensuring no interruption in financial support..

What you should do: Check eligibility immediately — children who lost parents or the sole earning parent to COVID-19 can apply at pmcaresforchildren.in with available documents.. Gather alternative ID proof (birth certificate, school ID, hospital discharge summary) if the child does not yet have an Aadhaar card — do not delay enrolment.. Apply for the child's Aadhaar card in parallel at the nearest Aadhaar enrolment centre so the account can be linked later without disrupting benefits..

Enrol first, link Aadhaar later — the scheme's own rules protect your place in the queue. Waiting for Aadhaar before applying is the most common reason eligible families miss early disbursements.

For readers weighing their credit and loan options, our personal loan guide and CIBIL score resources put this update in context.