Exclusive: After SIR, A Move To Remove Dead Voters From Aadhaar Database

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the body responsible for issuing Aadhaar in India, has requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to share data on dead voters, EC sources told NDTV.

In February, UIDAI had written to the EC seeking access to its data on dead voters identified during the first and second phases of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The aim is to update the Aadhaar database, as UIDAI periodically removes Aadhaar numbers of the dead.

Sources said that the EC has not yet taken a decision on this request.

A senior EC official stated that SIR data belongs exclusively to the Commission and cannot be shared with external entities, including government organisations. The official said that the EC is an independent statutory body and must maintain the integrity of its data.

The SIR exercise, which began in Bihar in June 2025, identified around 22 lakh dead voters. In the second phase, covering 12 states, similar deletions have been recorded. In West Bengal alone, around 24 lakh names were removed from the electoral rolls after being identified as dead.

In November 2025, the EC had directed all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to coordinate with Aadhaar authorities to verify the voter data and identify discrepancies. During this process, the CEO of West Bengal held a meeting with UIDAI officials, where it was revealed that nearly 34 lakh Aadhaar holders in the state had been marked as dead since the system was introduced in January 2009. Additionally, around 13 lakh residents were found to have never enrolled for Aadhaar.

The removal of Aadhaar numbers of dead individuals is an ongoing process. Last November, UIDAI had deactivated over two crore Aadhaar numbers using data sourced from the Registrar General of India, state governments, Union Territories, the Public Distribution System, and the National Social Assistance Programme.

In a statement, UIDAI said it is also exploring collaborations with financial institutions and other entities to obtain updated data on dead individuals. It reiterated that Aadhaar numbers are never reassigned to another individual.

Following the clean-up of electoral rolls, EC officials said more dead voters have been identified across states. They added that once the SIR process is completed nationwide, it will provide a more comprehensive dataset.

An official noted that the EC's current data on dead voters appear higher than those maintained by the Registrar General of India, and an accurate estimate is expected after the 2027 Census.