**Executive Summary**
This notification, issued by the Ministry of Coal on July 8, 2026, authorizes the use of Aadhaar authentication to identify students for the “South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) ke Sushrut” coaching program. The initiative aims to provide seamless, transparent access to National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) coaching under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The provisions are effective immediately from the date of publication and establish that while Aadhaar is the preferred verification method, it remains voluntary.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Purpose and Objective**
* To simplify identity verification processes for students and eliminate the requirement for multiple documents.
* To ensure the efficient, transparent, and targeted delivery of educational benefits and services.
* To promote good governance in the administration of the SECL CSR coaching initiative.
* **Authentication Procedures**
* Student verification will be conducted through biometric Aadhaar authentication.
* The Ministry or its implementing agencies must obtain the explicit consent of the Aadhaar holder before performing any authentication.
* Authentication is strictly voluntary and intended only for the specified coaching facility purpose.
* **Alternative Identification and Non-Discrimination**
* No student shall be denied coaching services for refusing to undergo or being unable to undergo Aadhaar authentication.
* The Ministry must inform beneficiaries of alternative, viable means of identification.
* Valid alternative documents include the Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card, Ration Card, and Voter Identity Card.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Students and Beneficiaries**
**Impact**
Students gain a simplified, seamless way to establish their identity for NEET coaching facilities, reducing the administrative burden of providing multiple documents.
**Action Required**
Beneficiaries must provide consent if they choose to use Aadhaar for verification; otherwise, they must provide an authorized alternative ID (PAN, Ration Card, or Voter ID) to access the benefits.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Coal and Implementing Agencies**
**Impact**
These entities are now authorized to use biometric Aadhaar authentication to verify beneficiaries, ensuring that CSR resources are directed accurately to the intended students.
**Action Required**
They must establish protocols to obtain and record student consent, inform students that Aadhaar is voluntary, and ensure that systems are in place to accept alternative identification without denying service.
**Stakeholder: South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL)**
**Impact**
The SECL CSR initiative, 'Sushrut,' receives a formal legal framework for student verification, enhancing the transparency and efficiency of the program.
**Action Required**
SECL must ensure that its coaching program implementation aligns with the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Coal: The central government ministry authorized to perform Aadhaar authentication for establishing the identity of students receiving benefits.
Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016: The principal legislation providing the legal framework for identity verification and targeted delivery of benefits using Aadhaar.
Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Rules, 2020: The regulatory framework under which government departments are permitted to use Aadhaar authentication for social welfare and educational services.
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) ke Sushrut: A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative providing coaching facilities to students, identified as the primary purpose for this identity verification policy.
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET): The national competitive examination for which students receive coaching under the SECL CSR initiative.
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-08072026-274287
CG-DxLx-xEG-I0D8H0x7x2x0 26-274287
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असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (i)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (i)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 535] नई दिल्ली, र्ुधिार, िुलाई 8, 2026/आषाढ 17, 1948
No. 535] NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2026/ASHADHA 17, 1948
कोयला मत्रं ालय
अजधसचू ना
नई दिल्ली, 8 िुलाई, 2026
सा.का.जन. 593(अ).— पहचान स्ट्थाजपत करने के जलए आधार संख्या का प्रयोग जिद्यार्थियों को सुगम और जनर्ािध
रूप स ेकोचचंग सुजिधा तथा सेिाएँ प्राप्त करन ेम ेंसमथि र्नाता ह,ै इसजलए यह पहचान जसद्ध करने, प्रदियाओं को सरल र्नान े
और पारिर्िति ा एि ं िक्षता को र्ढािा िेने के जलए अनेक िस्ट्तािेजों की आिश्यकता को समाप्त करता ह,ै:
और, कोयला मंत्रालय (जिसे इसमें इसके पश् चात् 'उक्त मंत्रालय' कहा गया ह)ै ने भारतीय जिजिष्ट पहचान प्राजधकरण
(यूआईडीएआई) के साथ परामिि करने के पश् चात,् सुिासन (सामाजिक कल्याण, निाचार और ज्ञान) के जलए आधार
प्रमाणीकरण जनयम, 2020' (जिसे इसमें इसके पश् चात ् 'उक्त जनयम' कहा गया ह)ै के जनयम 3 के उप-जनयम (1) के अधीन
जिजनर्ििष्ट प्रयोिनों के जलए, यह जनणिय जलया ह ैदक उक्त मंत्रालय प्रमाणीकरण करेगा और आधार संख्या धारक की पहचान
स्ट्थाजपत करने हते ु प्रमाणीकरण के िौरान आधार संख्या के उपयोग की अनुमजत प्राप्त करेगा और आधार (जित्तीय और अन्य
सहाजयदकयों, प्रसुजिधाओं और सेिाओं का लजययत पररिान) अजधजनयम, 2016 (जिसे इसमें इसके पश् चात 'अजधजनयम' कहा
गया ह)ै की धारा 4 की उप-धारा (4) के खडं (ख) के उप-खडं (ii) के साथ परित उक्त जनयमों के जनयम 5 के अधीन इस आिय
की अजधसूचना िारी करेगा:
5125 GI/2026 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(i)]
और, कॉपोरेट सामाजिक उत्तरिाजयत्ि– ‘साउथ ईस्ट्टनि कोलफील््स जलजमटेड (एसईसीएल) के सुश्रुत’ (जिसे इसम ें
इसके पश् चात् ‘उक्त उद्देश्य’ कहा गया ह)ै के अधीन राष्ट्रीय पात्रता सह प्रिेि परीक्षा (नीट) के जलए छात्रों को कोचचंग सुजिधा
प्रिान करने हते ु आधार प्रमाणीकरण दकया िाएगा, िैसा दक उक्त जनयमों के जनयम 3 के उप-जनयम (1) के अधीन जिजनर्ििष्ट
ह ै और उक्त प्रयोिन के जलए आधार प्रमाणीकरण स्ट्िैजछछक आधार पर होगा और यह दक उक्त मंत्रालय आधार प्रमाणीकरण
केिल इस उद्देश्य के जलए प्रस्ट्ताजित आधार प्रमाणीकरण सेिा हते ु ही करेगा, जिसे छात्रों तक लाभों का कुिल, पारििी और
लजक्षत पररिान सुजनजित करन े के जलए जडजाइन दकया गया ह:ै
और, इस प्रदिया के अधीन, छात्रों या लाभार्थियों का सत्यापन र्ायोमेररक आधार प्रमाणीकरण के माध्यम से दकया
िाएगा और उक्त िैजक्षक सुजिधा का लाभ संर्ंजधत कायािन्ियन एिेंसी द्वारा प्रिान दकया िाएगा:
अत: अर्, इस अजधजनयम की धारा 4 की उप-धारा (4) के खडं (ख) के उप-खडं (ii) के साथ परित उक्त जनयमों के
जनयम 5 के अनुसरण म,ें उक्त मत्रं ालय जनम्नजलजखत को अजधसूजचत करता है, अथाित्: –
1. (1) उक्त मंत्रालय, िैसा दक अजधजनयम में उपर्ंजधत ह,ै प्रमाणीकरण के प्रयोिन हते ु आधार संख्या धारक की
सहमजत प्राप्त करेगा।
(2) आधार प्रमाणीकरण स्ट्िैजछछक आधार पर ह,ै उक्त मंत्रालय आधार संख्या धारक को पहचान के िैकजल्पक और
व्यिहायि साधनों के र्ारे में सूजचत करेगा और आधार प्रमाणीकरण से इनकार करने या कराने में असमथि होने के
जलए आधार संख्या धारक को दकसी भी सेिा से इनकार नहीं करेगा, अथाित्: -
(क) स्ट्थायी खाता संख्या (पनै ) काडि;
(ख) रािन काडि; और
(ग) मतिाता पहचान पत्र।
2. यह अजधसूचना सरकारी रािपत्र म ें अपन े प्रकािन की तारीख स े प्रिृत्त होगी।
[फा. स.ं 49029/2/2024-सीएसआरडब्लल्यू]
चेतना िुक्ला, उप महाजनिेिक[भाग II—खण् ड 3(i)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 3
MINISTRY OF COAL
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 8th July, 2026
G.S.R. 593(E).— WHEREAS the use of Aadhaar number to establish identity enables students to receive
coaching facility and services in a convenient and seamless manner, obviates the need for multiplicity of documents to
establish identity, simplifies processes and promotes transparency and efficiency:
AND WHEREAS the Ministry of Coal (hereinafter referred to as the said Ministry), after consultation with the
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), for the purposes specified under sub-rule (1) of rule 3 of the Aadhaar
Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Rules, 2020 (hereinafter referred to as
the said rules) that the said Ministry shall perform authentication and be permitted the use of Aadhaar number during
authentication for establishing identity of Aadhaar number holder and notify the same under rule 5 of the said rules read
with sub-clause (ii) of clause (b) of sub-section (4) of section 4 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other
Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (hereinafter referred to as the Act):
AND WHEREAS, the Aadhaar authentication shall be performed for providing coaching facility to students
for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination under Corporate Social Responsibility – ‘South Eastern
Coalfields Limited (SECL) ke Sushrut’ (hereinafter referred to as the said purpose) as specified under sub-rule (1) of
rule 3 of the said rules and the performance of Aadhaar authentication for the said purpose shall be on voluntary basis
and that the said Ministry shall perform the Aadhaar authentication only for the proposed Aadhaar Authentication
Service for the purpose, which is designed to ensure efficient, transparent and targeted delivery of benefits to the
students.
AND WHEREAS, under this process, students or beneficiaries shall be verified through biometric Aadhaar
authentication and the said educational facility benefit shall be provided by the concerned implementing agency.
NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of rule 5 of the said rules read with sub-clause (ii) of clause (b) of
sub-section (4) of section 4 of the Act, the said Ministry hereby notifies the following, namely: –
1. (1) The said Ministry, as provided in the Act, shall obtain the consent of the Aadhaar number holder for the
purpose of authentication herein.
(2) The Aadhaar authentication is on voluntary basis, the said Ministry shall inform to the Aadhaar number
holder of alternate and viable means of identification and shall not deny any service to the Aadhaar number
holder for refusing to, or being unable to, undergo Aadhaar authentication, namely:-
(a) Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card;
(b) Ration Card; and
(c) Voter Identity Card.
2. This notification shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
[F. No. 49029/2/2024-CSRW]
CHETNA SHUKLA, Dy. Director General
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.