In a move to curb identity fraud and unauthorised use of Aadhaar numbers, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has initiated a multi-pronged strategy to deactivate Aadhaar numbers of deceased individuals, the Ministry of Electronics & IT said on Wednesday. The effort aims to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the Aadhaar database, which serves as a crucial digital identity platform for residents of India and NRIs.
Aadhaar, the 12-digit unique identity number issued by UIDAI, is never reassigned once generated. However, if not deactivated after a person’s death, these numbers could be misused. To address this concern, UIDAI has partnered with multiple stakeholders, including state governments, the Registrar General of India (RGI), banks, and other ecosystem partners, to ensure timely and validated deactivation of such Aadhaar numbers.
As part of its ongoing efforts, UIDAI requested the RGI to share Aadhaar-linked death records through the Civil Registration System (CRS). So far, the RGI has shared approximately 1.55 crore death records from 24 States and Union Territories. After due validation, UIDAI has successfully deactivated about 1.17 crore Aadhaar numbers. For States and UTs not using the CRS, UIDAI has received an additional 6.7 lakh death records, and deactivation is currently in progress.
Taking a further step toward empowering citizens, UIDAI launched a dedicated service – “Reporting of Death of a Family Member” – on the myAadhaar Portal on June 9, 2025. This digital service currently covers 24 CRS-enabled States/UTs and allows a family member to report the death by submitting the deceased’s Aadhaar number, Death Registration Number, and other demographic details after self-authentication. The submitted data undergoes a thorough validation process before the Aadhaar number is deactivated. Efforts are underway to extend this service to the remaining States and UTs.
UIDAI is also considering acquiring death records from banks and other Aadhaar ecosystem partners that may maintain such data, adding another layer of information verification.
In another unique initiative, UIDAI has launched a pilot program with state governments to verify the status of Aadhaar holders aged over 100 years. The demographic details of these individuals are being shared with state authorities to confirm whether they are alive. Based on the feedback, UIDAI will proceed with appropriate validations and deactivate the Aadhaar numbers where necessary.
UIDAI has urged citizens to report the death of any family member on the myAadhaar Portal after obtaining a valid death certificate from the registering authorities. This, the Authority states, is crucial to prevent misuse of the deceased’s Aadhaar number and to ensure the overall sanctity of the national identity database.