For scholarship, students may now have to link Aadhaar to bank accounts

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked for Aadhar linkage of all accounts for availing different scholarships and other benefits by students.

He also directed officials to prepare a plan to bring the University of Mumbai, Savitribai Phule Pune University and Nagpur University among the top in global rankings.

"The CM has set the target and asked to prepare a plan to bring Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur universities among top in global ranking. Aadhar linkage of all the accounts for availing different scholarships and other benefits by students is also necessary," an official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said today.

Fadnavis has reviewed the progress of Key Result Areas (KRAs) for departments of Primary and Secondary Education, Higher and Technical Education and Social Justice in three different meetings with ministers Vinod Tawde, Ravindra Waikar, Dilip Kamble.

Secretaries of various departments were present in these meetings, the official said.

The CM also asked to make biometric attendance compulsory for all local body and aided schools and to bring all transactions on the digital mode, the official informed.

He also asked to complete the target of making 33,000 schools digital and of bringing 100 per cent learning outcome this year.

Fadnavis also reviewed progress made for Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Entrepreneurship Scheme, providing moisture security to SC farmers. "He asked officials to prepare policy for the physically challenged and senior citizens by March 17, 2017, and for giving them various facilities," according to the official.

He said restricting school drop out rates of girl students to less than 5 per cent, developing and implementing a child tracking system, biometric attendance and digitisation for government and aided schools are some of the key result areas (KRA) set by the state education department.