In a significant move to enhance the integrity of India’s digital identity system, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated approximately 1.2 crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased individuals. This initiative, aimed at preventing identity fraud and maintaining database accuracy, marks a crucial step in securing the Aadhaar ecosystem.

Key Highlights of the Aadhaar Deactivation Initiative

• Massive Deactivation: UIDAI has disabled 1.17 crore Aadhaar IDs after validating 1.55 crore death records sourced from the Registrar General of India (RGI) through the Civil Registration System (CRS) across 24 states and Union Territories. An additional 6.7 lakh death records from non-CRS states are under process.
• New Reporting Service: On June 9, 2025, UIDAI launched the ‘Reporting of Death of a Family Member’ service on the myAadhaar Portal, enabling family members to report deaths by providing the deceased’s Aadhaar number, death registration number, and demographic details. This service is currently available in 24 states/UTs, with integration for remaining regions underway.
• Preventing Misuse: The deactivation process aims to curb fraudulent activities, such as unauthorized pension claims and electoral fraud, by ensuring deceased individuals’ Aadhaar numbers are not misused.
• Centenarian Verification: UIDAI is collaborating with state governments to verify the status of Aadhaar holders aged over 100 years, ensuring accurate deactivation of deceased individuals’ IDs.

Why This Matters

The deactivation of Aadhaar numbers is critical to preventing identity theft and maintaining the accuracy of the Aadhaar database, which currently includes 142.39 crore active Aadhaar numbers as of June 2025. With India’s population at 146.39 crore (April 2025, UN Population Fund), unremoved records of deceased individuals can inflate Aadhaar saturation figures, leading to discrepancies in local data.

The initiative addresses concerns raised by an RTI query, which highlighted that only 1.15 crore Aadhaar numbers were deactivated in 14 years, despite an average of 83.5 lakh deaths annually between 2007 and 2019. This gap underscores the need for robust mechanisms to update the Aadhaar database.

How the Reporting Process Works

Family members can report a death via the myAadhaar Portal by:

1. Authenticating their identity.
2. Submitting the deceased’s Aadhaar number, death registration number, and other demographic details.
3. Awaiting validation by UIDAI before deactivation.

UIDAI is also exploring partnerships with banks and other Aadhaar-linked entities to source additional death records, further streamlining the process.

Looking Ahead

The Aadhaar 2.0 program is set to introduce more features to enhance credibility and security. UIDAI’s collaboration with state governments and plans to integrate with remaining states/UTs signal a commitment to a more accurate and fraud-resistant digital identity system.

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