UIDAI removes more than 2 crore Aadhaar IDs of deceased

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than two crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased individuals as part of a nationwide exercise to strengthen the accuracy, security and reliability of the Aadhaar database.

The large-scale clean-up operation is based on deceased persons’ data sourced from multiple authorities, including the Registrar General of India (RGI), state and Union Territory administrations, the Public Distribution System (PDS), and the National Social Assistance Programme. UIDAI is also exploring partnerships with financial institutions and other government-linked entities to widen the flow of verified information on deaths.

The authority reiterated that Aadhaar numbers are never reassigned to any other individual. However, deactivating the Aadhaar number of a deceased person is essential in preventing identity fraud, impersonation, or the misuse of credentials to avail welfare benefits. Ensuring that inactive identifiers are weeded out is seen as critical for maintaining the integrity of Aadhaar-linked service delivery.

To support families in reporting deaths promptly, UIDAI this year introduced an online facility on the myAadhaar portal titled “Reporting of Death of a Family Member”. The service currently covers 25 states and Union Territories that are linked to the Civil Registration System, while integration with the remaining states and UTs is under way.

Family members can log into the portal, authenticate themselves and provide the deceased person’s Aadhaar number, Death Registration Number and other basic details. Once the information is submitted, UIDAI undertakes validation and proceeds with deactivation where applicable.

Encouraging wider use of the facility, UIDAI has urged citizens to report the deaths of family members after obtaining an official death certificate from the respective registering authorities. The authority said public participation is crucial for ensuring that the national digital identity system remains updated, secure and trustworthy.