Human life cycle management: UIDAI plans linking Aadhaar with birth, death

From assigning temporary Aadhaar numbers to newborns to tracking deaths in hospitals, UIDAI is looking to expand the programme to cover a person's entire lifecycle

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which has enrolled nearly all of India's adult population since 2010, is now looking to expand Aadhaar to cover a person's entire lifecycle with two ambitious pilot programmes, a media report said on Wednesday.

According to an Economic Times report, newborn infants will receive a temporary Aadhaar number to be renewed with biometric data on attainment of majority, as the UIDAI prepares to launch the programmes to deepen its reach countrywide.

"The allocation of a UIDAI number at birth will ensure that children and families benefit from government programmes and no one is left out of the social security net," ET quoted one official as saying.

Teams will visit newborns' families and complete the formalities of registering their biometrics, after which a permanent Aadhaar number shall be allocated, the report said, adding that once a child turns 18, biometrics will be re-registered to ensure that multiple IDs are not generated for the same child.

More than 1.31 billion Aadhaar cards were issued in India until December 2021, with more than 99.7 per cent of adults covered.

In the 5 to 18 age group, Aadhaar coverage is estimated to be 93 per cent, as per the ET report. The report added that only a quarter of the children below the age of five are registered with the identity database.

UIDAI also plans to approach public and private hospitals for data on the deceased to ensure there is no duplication.

The increase in death rates due to the Covid-19 pandemic has led to more cases of direct benefit transfers still being remitted to the Aadhaar numbers of deceased citizens, the report said.

Pensions of people who have died recently are still being withdrawn or automatically credited to their accounts as the Aadhaar number is still active, it added.

The Aadhaar number is a 12-digit random number issued by the UIDAI to the residents of India after satisfying the verification process laid down by the Authority. Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident of India, may voluntarily enrol to obtain an Aadhaar number. The person willing to enrol has to provide minimal demographic and biometric information during the enrolment process, which is free of cost.