Aadhaar Cleanup Drive: Over 1.4 Crore IDs Of Dead Persons Cancelled

The Unique Identification Authority of India ( UIDAI ) has deactivated more than 1.4 crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased persons as part of a large-scale cleanup exercise, The Times of India reported on Monday. The move, officials said, is aimed at protecting public funds and ensuring that government welfare schemes are not misused.

UIDAI, established under the 2016 Aadhaar Act, is responsible for issuing 12-digit unique identification numbers to Indian residents. UIDAI chief Bhuvanesh Kumar told the newspaper that deactivating Aadhaar numbers of those who have passed away is essential for maintaining the integrity of welfare schemes.

An official highlighted that the statutory body has set a target to deactivate nearly two crore Aadhaar numbers by December. However, a major hurdle in this exercise is that Aadhaar is not mandatory for registering deaths, which leads to significant gaps in data.

“Many death records either don’t include Aadhaar numbers or contain incorrect or poorly formatted information,” the official explained.

To address this issue, UIDAI has been sourcing death data through multiple channels. This includes collaboration with the Registrar General of India’s Civil Registration System as well as state and Union Territory governments. For states not yet integrated into the system such as Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab, Puducherry, Goa, Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal, UIDAI is collecting data independently.

Additionally, UIDAI has partnered with banks, insurance companies, pension funds, and Public Distribution System (PDS) authorities to ensure Aadhaar records are updated regularly.

Aadhaar, which links a person’s fingerprints, face, and iris scan to their identity, was initially introduced as a voluntary scheme to improve welfare delivery and provide identification for those without IDs. However, over time, the government expanded its use, making Aadhaar mandatory for access to several services.

Today, Aadhaar is linked to over 3,300 government schemes, including pensions, subsidies, and financial aid, according to The Times of India.