The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has completed more than 2 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBU) for school children as part of its nationwide mission-mode drive.
The special drive, launched in September 2025, has so far covered more than 1.56 lakh schools across the country, enabling children to complete their Aadhaar biometric updates through dedicated camps organised at schools.
The initiative has been implemented through technological integration between UIDAI and the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), which enables schools to track the MBU status of children.
UIDAI and State and Union Territory education departments have coordinated the outreach to make the biometric update process more accessible to school-going children.
Why is Mandatory Biometric Update needed?
When Aadhaar is enrolled for children below five years of age, demographic details and a photograph are captured, while fingerprints and iris biometrics are not recorded as these biometric features are still developing.
The Mandatory Biometric Update ensures that the Aadhaar record is updated with the child’s biometric information as they grow.
MBU is required when a child reaches five years of age and again at 15 years.
Timely updating helps ensure smoother Aadhaar authentication as children move through school and higher education and access services and benefits where Aadhaar authentication may be required.
Is MBU free for children?
UIDAI has made MBU free for children aged 5 to 17 years until September 30, 2026.
The authority had waived charges for children in the 7-15 years age group from October 1, 2025, for one year. MBU for children aged 5-7 years and 15-17 years continues to be free.
Why should parents complete MBU?
UIDAI has advised parents and guardians to ensure that their children’s mandatory biometric updates are completed on time.
According to the authority, failure to update biometrics may lead to difficulties with Aadhaar authentication for accessing benefits under various government schemes and for registrations related to competitive and university examinations, including NEET, JEE and CUET.
The ongoing drive aims to make the process easier for children and parents by taking MBU services directly to schools and expanding outreach across the country.
