The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 1.17 crore Aadhaar numbers linked to deceased individuals. The step, announced this year, is part of a government effort to prevent identity theft and misuse of the Aadhaar database.
Why the Aadhaar Deactivation Matters
The Aadhaar system, which covers over 1.3 billion Indians, serves as the backbone for welfare distribution, banking, and mobile services. According to UIDAI, numbers belonging to deceased individuals create opportunities for fraud, particularly in the delivery of government subsidies and financial transactions.
“Ensuring the integrity of the Aadhaar database is critical for maintaining trust in the system,” a senior UIDAI official said in a statement published by the Economic Times.
Scale of the Problem
Despite the recent push, the total number of Aadhaar deactivations remains small compared to India’s mortality rates. Between 2007 and 2019, India recorded an average of 8.35 million deaths annually, according to the Registrar General of India. Yet, UIDAI has deactivated only about 1.15 crore numbers in the last 14 years.
Researchers at India Today noted that this represents less than 10 percent of expected deactivations, underscoring the challenges of linking death records with Aadhaar in real time.
New Mechanisms for Reporting
Integration with State Registries
UIDAI is working with 24 states and union territories to cross-verify death data through the Civil Registration System. Records for another 6.7 lakh individuals are currently being processed. Officials say the programme will gradually extend nationwide.
Online Family Reporting Tool
To fill gaps in official record-keeping, UIDAI has launched a new feature on the myAadhaar portal. Families can now report the death of a relative directly, triggering Aadhaar deactivation after verification.
“This facility empowers families to ensure the safe closure of Aadhaar records, reducing the risk of misuse,” UIDAI said in a press release.
Broader Concerns on Data Integrity
Analysts say the discrepancy between reported deaths and Aadhaar deactivations raises questions about the efficiency of India’s civil registration network. Dr. Reetika Khera, an economist at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, told The Hindu that “the weak integration between death registration and Aadhaar is a structural flaw that needs urgent attention.”
The lack of automated deactivation also creates vulnerabilities in sectors where Aadhaar is mandatory for authentication, such as direct benefit transfers (DBT), pension disbursement, and public distribution systems.
How Citizens Can Check Aadhaar Status
UIDAI advises all residents to periodically verify their Aadhaar status:
- Visit the official UIDAI portal.
- Enter the 12-digit Aadhaar number in the status-check tool.
- Update demographic details such as address, phone number, and photo, if required.
- For in-person verification, visit the nearest Aadhaar Seva Kendra.
Government’s Next Steps
Officials have indicated that Aadhaar-linked death verification will eventually become automatic once the Civil Registration System achieves full national coverage. For now, UIDAI continues to rely on both state-level cooperation and citizen reporting.
Experts say these reforms will take time. The goal is to create a seamless pipeline from death certification to Aadhaar deactivation,” said Dr. Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician of India. “Until then, gaps will remain.
Conclusion
The Aadhaar deactivation drive is not a mass suspension of active users, as some reports have suggested. Instead, it is a targeted measure against misuse of Aadhaar numbers belonging to the deceased. While the initiative represents progress, the low deactivation rates compared with mortality figures highlight enduring challenges.
Ensuring the credibility of Aadhaar, a system central to India’s digital economy and social services, will depend on bridging these gaps with stronger coordination and transparent processes.
