New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 2.5 crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased persons as part of a nationwide database clean-up exercise aimed at preventing identity fraud and ensuring leak-proof delivery of welfare benefits.
The information was submitted by Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on 04 February 2026.
UIDAI stated that deactivation of Aadhaar numbers after the death of a holder is critical to prevent unauthorised use, including fraudulent authentication and illegal availing of government benefits.
UIDAI clarified that the State or Union Territory recorded in an Aadhaar holder’s address may differ from the State or UT where the death is registered, which necessitates coordinated verification and regular sanitisation of the central database.
Measures to prevent identity fraud
To curb identity fraud and secure welfare delivery, the government has introduced multiple safeguards in the Aadhaar ecosystem. Aadhaar holders can use Biometric Lock/Unlock and Aadhaar Lock/Unlock features to prevent unauthorised authentication. Additionally, Face Authentication with liveness detection ensures physical presence during transactions and prevents spoofing or misuse.
UIDAI has also promoted offline verification mechanisms to reduce unnecessary sharing of Aadhaar data. These include the use of Aadhaar Secure QR Code, paperless offline e-KYC, e-Aadhaar, and Aadhaar verifiable credentials, which allow identity verification without transmitting core biometric or demographic information.
Regular database sanitisation and de-duplication exercises are carried out, including the systematic deactivation of Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased persons, to maintain the integrity of the Aadhaar database. Any update to the demographic details of an Aadhaar holder is permitted strictly on the basis of documents notified by UIDAI, preventing unauthorised or fraudulent changes.
Further, UIDAI has launched a new Aadhaar mobile application, which enables Aadhaar holders to securely and seamlessly share verified credentials with Offline Verification Seeking Entities (OVSEs), reinforcing privacy and user control over personal identity data.
Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric identity system, currently has around 134 crore active Aadhaar holders.
