In a massive data cleansing exercise aimed at strengthening India’s digital identity ecosystem, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 2 crore Aadhaar numbers, most of which belonged to deceased individuals. The move marks one of the largest efforts yet to enhance the accuracy and trustworthiness of the Aadhaar database, which is used by over 1.3 billion residents.
Why the Deactivation Was Needed
According to officials, these Aadhaar numbers were linked to individuals who had passed away over the years. Their information was sourced from state governments, registrars, health departments, and civil registration systems, allowing UIDAI to verify and remove inactive records.
This cleanup is expected to improve the efficiency of Aadhaar-linked services such as banking, welfare benefits, digital KYC, and subsidy transfers, ensuring that government schemes reach the correct beneficiaries without duplication or fraud.
Strengthening the Digital Identity Network
UIDAI’s rigorous audit follows repeated recommendations for a periodic update of the Aadhaar database. With Aadhaar now linked to every major service—from PAN cards and voter IDs to welfare schemes like PM-Kisan and pensions—eliminating inactive records has become crucial.
Officials state that the deactivation:
●Prevents identity misuse
●Reduces chances of fraud in welfare schemes
●Ensures more accurate demographic data
●Helps government departments deliver benefits more efficiently
What This Means for Citizens
The UIDAI has clarified that only Aadhaar numbers confirmed as belonging to deceased persons have been deactivated, and no living individual’s Aadhaar has been mistakenly cancelled. Families of deceased individuals are not required to take any additional steps unless notified.
UIDAI is also encouraging all residents to update their Aadhaar details, especially if they haven’t done so in the last 10 years, to maintain accuracy in the system.
A Major Step Toward a Cleaner Digital India
With emerging technologies, expanding use of digital KYC, and millions accessing government services online, UIDAI’s data cleaning drive is seen as a vital step towards building a robust, secure, and transparent digital identity infrastructure.
Removing more than 2 crore inactive numbers is not just a technical update—it reflects India’s evolving digital governance model, focused on efficiency, accuracy, and transparency.
