New Delhi, July 17: India’s Unique Identification Authority (UIDAI) on Tuesday urged parents of children aged between five and seven to update their children’s Aadhaar biometrics to ensure continued access to government services and benefits.
In a public advisory, the UIDAI said biometric updates — including fingerprint and iris scans — must be completed before a child turns seven. The process is free of cost if done within the stipulated age window, after which a fee of ₹100 will apply.
Biometric data is not captured for children under the age of five at the time of Aadhaar enrolment, as UIDAI considers such data unreliable due to underdeveloped features. “The fingerprints and iris biometrics of a child are not captured for Aadhaar enrolment below the age of five because these are not mature at that age,” the authority said.
The UIDAI also warned that Aadhaar numbers issued to children could be cancelled if biometric updates are not completed after they cross the age threshold.
“Aadhaar with updated biometric facilitates ease of living and ensures seamless usage of Aadhaar in availing services such as school admissions, registering for entrance examinations, availing benefits of scholarships, DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) schemes, etc wherever applicable,” UIDAI said in a statement.
To encourage compliance, the authority said it had begun sending SMS alerts to the mobile numbers registered with the Aadhaar of affected children, reminding parents and guardians to update their child’s biometric information.
The Aadhaar system, launched in 2009, is the world’s largest biometric identification programme, assigning a unique 12-digit ID number to over 1.3 billion Indian residents. The number is widely used to access public welfare schemes and verify identity across a range of services.
