The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 2.5 crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased persons as part of a nationwide clean-up drive.
Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada informed the Lok Sabha that the move aims to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the Aadhaar database, which currently holds around 134 crore active Aadhaar numbers.
Officials stressed that deactivation of Aadhaar numbers after death is essential to prevent identity fraud and misuse of credentials for welfare benefits. Since the address in Aadhaar records may differ from the state where death is registered, UIDAI has adopted multiple verification mechanisms to ensure proper deactivation.
Key Measures to Prevent Identity Fraud
- Biometric Lock/Unlock: Aadhaar holders can lock their biometrics to stop unauthorised authentication attempts.
- Face Authentication with Liveness Detection: Ensures the physical presence of beneficiaries during transactions.
- Offline Verification Tools: Aadhaar Secure QR Code, paperless e-KYC, e-Aadhaar, and verifiable credentials for identity checks.
- No Sharing of Core Biometrics: UIDAI prohibits the sharing of fingerprint or iris data.
- Secure Data Storage: Aadhaar Data Vaults store numbers in an encrypted format.
- Database Sanitisation: Regular de-duplication and removal of Aadhaar numbers of deceased persons.
- Controlled Demographic Updates: Changes allowed only with UIDAI-approved documents.
UIDAI has also launched a new Aadhaar app that enables holders to share verified credentials securely with offline verification entities. The app supports mobile number and address updates, while biometric changes still require enrollment centre visits.
