The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is planning to start biometric updates of children through schools in a phased manner within the next two months, a top official said, as reported by PTI.
UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar told PTI that over 7 crore children have not yet updated their Aadhaar biometrics, which becomes mandatory after the age of 5 years.
"UIDAI is working on a project to start updating the biometrics of children with parental consent through schools. We are at present testing the technology and it should be ready in 45-60 days," Kumar said.
According to UIDAI guidelines, the Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) is crucial for maintaining accurate and reliable biometric data of children. If not completed even after a child turns seven, their Aadhaar number could be deactivated as per the current rules.
The update is free of cost if done between ages 5 and 7, but after the age of 7, a fee of Rs 100 is charged for the update.
An Aadhaar with updated biometrics is important for accessing services like school admissions, entrance exams, scholarships, and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes.
"We are planning to extend the same process of going through schools and colleges for a second MBU which is done after children attain the age of 15 years," Kumar added.
Currently, Aadhaar for newborns and children below 5 years is issued without capturing biometrics.
"Aadhaar is crucial for delivering benefits under several government schemes. We want children to get all the benefits at the right time. Through schools, we are trying to reach as many children in a convenient manner," he said.
As part of the upcoming project, UIDAI will send biometric machines to each district, which will then be rotated from school to school for carrying out the updates.
