UIDAI deactivates 25 mn Aadhaar numbers of deceased to prevent fraud

After the death of a person, their Aadhaar number is deactivated to prevent identity fraud and stop misuse for claiming government welfare benefits

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has so far deactivated more than 25 million Aadhaar numbers belonging to people who have died.

 

This exercise is part of a nationwide drive to keep the Aadhaar database accurate and reliable. Aadhaar is the world’s largest biometric identity system, with around 1,340 million active Aadhaar holders.

 

Why Aadhaar deactivation after death is important

 

When a person dies, it is necessary to deactivate their Aadhaar number. This helps prevent identity fraud and stops unauthorised use of the Aadhaar number to claim government welfare benefits, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said.

 

UIDAI clarified that the state or Union Territory mentioned in a person’s Aadhaar address may not always match the place where the death was officially registered.   

 

Steps taken to prevent identity fraud

 

UIDAI has introduced several measures to reduce the risk of misuse and ensure that benefits reach the right beneficiaries. These include:

 

• Biometric lock/unlock: Aadhaar holders can lock their biometrics to block unauthorised authentication attempts

• Aadhaar lock/unlock: Allows users to lock or unlock their Aadhaar number when needed

• Face authentication with liveness detection: Ensures the physical presence of the beneficiary and prevents spoofing

• Offline verification tools: Use of Aadhaar secure QR code, paperless offline e-KYC, e-Aadhaar and verifiable credentials

• No sharing of core biometrics: UIDAI does not share biometric data of Aadhaar holders

• Secure data storage: Mandatory use of Aadhaar aata vaults by entities to store Aadhaar numbers in encrypted form

• Database sanitisation: Regular de-duplication and deactivation of Aadhaar numbers of deceased persons

• Controlled updates: Demographic details can be updated only using documents approved by UIDAI

• New Aadhaar app: Enables secure sharing of verified credentials with Offline Verification Seeking Entities (OVSE)

 

Over 20 mn Aadhaar numbers deactivated in Nov

 

In November last year, UIDAI said that it had deactivated more than 20 million Aadhaar numbers of deceased individuals.

 

To identify such cases, UIDAI used data from the Registrar General of India (RGI), state and UT authorities, the Public Distribution System, and the National Social Assistance Programme. The authority also plans to work with banks and other institutions to access verified death records.

 

UIDAI reiterated that Aadhaar numbers are never reissued. However, deactivation after death is necessary to prevent fraud and illegal use of Aadhaar-linked welfare benefits.