📊 Government Deactivates Over 2.5 Crore Aadhaar Numbers

Balasahana Suresh
The Union government of India has informed parliament that more than 2.5 crore (25 million+) Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased individuals have been deactivated as part of a nationwide clean‑up of the Aadhaar database. This was shared by the Union minister of State for Electronics & IT, Jitin Prasada, in the lok sabha on 4 February 2026.

🧠 Why Are Aadhaar Numbers Being Deactivated?

The deactivation exercise is intended to:

🔒 Prevent Identity Fraud

If an Aadhaar number of a deceased person stays active, it could be misused to:

  • Open bank accounts
  • Access welfare or subsidy schemes
  • Authenticate services fraudulently
    Deactivating such Aadhaar numbers reduces these risks.
🧾 Improve Database Accuracy

The Aadhaar system is the world’s largest biometric ID platform, with over 130 crore active records. Cleaning out Aadhaar numbers of people who have already died helps improve data integrity and trust in the system.

⚙️ How This Deactivation Happens

Here’s how the deactivation process generally works:

🔹 Linking Death Records: uidai (the Aadhaar issuing authority) gets death information from official sources like the Civil Registration System (CRS), Registrar General of india, states/UTs, and other government systems.

🔹 Matching Data: Before deactivating a number, the system verifies that the person has indeed died by matching details like name, gender, and registration info.

🔹 Final Deactivation: Once verified, the Aadhaar number is marked as inactive.

In many cases, family members can also report the death of a relative through the myAadhaar portal, which helps speed up the process.

📍 What Does ‘Deactivated’ Mean for Aadhaar?

  • Deactivated Aadhaar numbers are not deleted permanently — they’re marked as inactive in the uidai database.
  • These numbers cannot be used for Aadhaar authentication or linked services like bank accounts, mobile SIM verification, or welfare benefits.
  • Aadhaar numbers are never reassigned to another individual, even if deactivated.
🔎 Check If Your Aadhaar Is Active

If you’re worried your Aadhaar has been deactivated by mistake (e.g., it shows inactive when you’re alive), here’s what you can do:

✅ 1. Use the Official uidai Website

Visit the UIDAI portal and use Aadhaar related options to check your status.

✅ 2. Check Through the myAadhaar App/Portal

Families reporting a deceased relative’s death can do so via the official app/portal — useful to verify if the deactivation is legitimate.

✅ 3. Visit an Aadhaar Enrollment/Update Centre

If your Aadhaar has been incorrectly flagged as inactive, you can visit an Aadhaar centre with your valid ID documents to request reactivation after necessary verification.

Important: Always avoid third‑party sites or links claiming to verify Aadhaar status — only use official uidai platforms to check or update your details.

🛡️ Extra Measures to Prevent Misuse

Alongside deactivation, uidai is also promoting:

  • Biometric lock/unlock (prevents unauthorised use of fingerprints)
  • Face authentication with liveness detection
  • Secure QR codes and offline e‑KYC for safer identity verification
  • Encrypted storage of Aadhaar data to reduce risk of breaches
📌 Bottom Line

The government’s move to deactivate over 25 million Aadhaar numbers is part of a clean‑up and security effort — not a random cancellation of active accounts. It’s focused on removing Aadhaar records of deceased individuals to prevent identity fraud and improve the reliability of the system.

 

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, organization, employer, or company. All information provided is for general informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, reliability, or suitability of the information contained herein. Readers are advised to verify facts and seek professional advice where necessary. Any reliance placed on such information is strictly at the reader’s own risk.

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