India, July 22 -- The Meghalaya high court on Monday stated that Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory to avail state-sponsored scholarships and financial aid, particularly for SC/ST students, a significant order which could have nationwide implications.

The court's directive came while hearing a plea filed by advocate Greneth M Sangma against the Union of India and others.

The division bench, comprising chief justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh, observed that while the State may request Aadhaar for identification purposes, students without it should not be disqualified from receiving benefits under the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme or other financial assistance programmes.

The court's ruling came in response to a state notification ...