The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has begun deactivating Aadhaar numbers linked to deceased individuals, in one of the largest clean-up operations in India’s welfare system. The move is aimed at curbing misuse of government schemes, where benefits were often issued in the names of the dead.
A Clean-Up Drive with National Implications
In an effort to tighten India’s welfare delivery system, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 1.4 crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased citizens. The measure, officials say, is part of the government’s broader campaign to ensure that subsidies, pensions, and other welfare benefits are delivered only to living, eligible beneficiaries.
With Aadhaar linked to over 3,300 government schemes, the implications are vast. For years, reports surfaced of ghost beneficiaries drawing funds under the names of the dead. UIDAI’s intervention, backed by the Modi government’s 2047 vision of a fraud-free welfare state, is intended to stem these losses.
The Challenges of Verifying Death Records
The operation, however, is not without obstacles. Officials acknowledge that death registration in India remains fragmented and often incomplete. In many states, Aadhaar numbers are either omitted from death records altogether or entered incorrectly, complicating deactivation efforts.
“The biggest challenge is that providing an Aadhaar number is not mandatory for death registration,” a UIDAI officer explained. The scattered nature of data spread across financial and non-financial institutions makes verification and matching a complex exercise. UIDAI has set a target of deactivating nearly 2 crore Aadhaar numbers of deceased persons by December 2025.
Safeguarding Public Funds and Digital Identity
UIDAI CEO Bhuwanesh Kumar emphasized that the effort was critical to protecting the integrity of welfare programs. “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,” he said.
To assist in the process, UIDAI has appealed to citizens to voluntarily report deaths through the mAadhaar portal. Maintaining an accurate database, officials stress, will safeguard millions of beneficiaries and further strengthen India’s digital identity infrastructure.
