New Delhi: More than 2.5 crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased persons have been deactivated across the country as part of a nationwide effort to prevent identity fraud and misuse of welfare benefits, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada informed that the clean-up exercise is being carried out by the Unique Identification Authority of India to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the Aadhaar database. Aadhaar currently remains the world’s largest biometric identity system, with around 134 crore live holders.
Deactivating the Aadhaar number of a person after death is essential to prevent unauthorised use, including the fraudulent availing of government welfare schemes, the minister said, clarifying that the state or Union Territory mentioned in an Aadhaar holder’s address may differ from the place where the death is officially registered.
The government has also put in place several safeguards to reduce the risk of identity-related fraud. These include a biometric lock and unlock facility that allows Aadhaar holders to block unauthorised authentication attempts using fingerprints or iris data. Aadhaar numbers can also be locked or unlocked entirely at the user’s discretion.
To strengthen authentication, UIDAI has deployed face authentication with a liveness detection feature. This ensures the physical presence of the beneficiary and helps prevent spoofing during transactions. Offline verification methods such as Aadhaar Secure QR codes, paperless offline e-KYC, e-Aadhaar, and verifiable credentials are also being promoted to reduce dependence on online data sharing.
The minister underlined that UIDAI does not share core biometric information of Aadhaar holders with any entity. All agencies using Aadhaar-based services are required to store Aadhaar numbers only in encrypted form through Aadhaar Data Vaults.
Regular database sanitisation is also being undertaken through de-duplication and periodic deactivation of Aadhaar numbers linked to deceased persons. Any update to demographic details is permitted only on the basis of documents notified by UIDAI.
Prasada also informed the House that UIDAI has launched a new Aadhaar mobile application that allows users to securely share verified credentials with offline verification-seeking entities, without revealing their Aadhaar number.
The information was submitted in the Lok Sabha on February 4, 2026, as part of the government’s broader effort to ensure secure identity verification and leak-proof delivery of public services.
