The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a large-scale drive to deactivate Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased individuals. The move is designed to prevent misuse of government welfare schemes, where benefits have often been claimed in the names of the dead.
A Nationwide Clean-Up of Welfare Records
As part of the initiative, UIDAI has already deactivated more than 1.4 crore Aadhaar numbers of deceased citizens. Officials stated that this step is aligned with the government’s broader effort to ensure that subsidies, pensions, and other benefits are directed only to living and eligible beneficiaries.
Since Aadhaar is linked to more than 3,300 government schemes, the scale of impact is significant. For years, reports have highlighted ghost beneficiaries accessing funds under the identities of deceased persons. By removing these numbers, UIDAI seeks to protect the welfare system and support the government’s vision of a fraud-free welfare state by 2047.
Hurdles in Verifying Death Records
The deactivation process, however, comes with challenges. Officials admitted that death registration in India is often incomplete and inconsistent. In many states, Aadhaar numbers are either missing or entered incorrectly in death records, making it difficult to identify and deactivate them.
“The biggest challenge is that providing an Aadhaar number is not mandatory for death registration,” a UIDAI officer explained. With data scattered across multiple institutions, verification and matching require significant effort. UIDAI has set a goal of deactivating nearly 2 crore Aadhaar numbers of deceased individuals by December 2025.
Protecting Welfare Schemes and Digital Identity
UIDAI CEO Bhuwanesh Kumar highlighted the importance of the initiative, saying, “Deactivating Aadhaar numbers of deceased persons is necessary to maintain the credibility of welfare schemes and to prevent misuse. This ensures that public funds are not wasted on fraudulent claims or identity fraud.”
To support this drive, UIDAI has requested citizens to voluntarily report the deaths of family members through the mAadhaar portal. Officials noted that keeping the Aadhaar database updated is crucial for protecting beneficiaries, strengthening the country’s welfare delivery system, and maintaining the integrity of India’s digital identity framework.
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