Aadhaar updates: No duplicate Baal Aadhaars; easier deactivation for deceased individuals

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has introduced an amendment in the Aadhaar (Sharing of Information) Regulations, 2016, aimed at preventing duplicate Baal Aadhaar enrolments on the basis of the same birth certificate.

Issuing a notice on August 21, 2025, UIDAI said that it may share the Aadhaar number of children below five years of age with the Registrar General of India or a State Chief Registrar appointed under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, with the consent of a parent or a guardian. This is in order to prevent duplicate enrolment, that is, two different enrollments for Baal Aadhaar resulting in two separate Baal Aadhaars, on the basis of the same birth certificate.

As per the new regulation, the Aadhaar number of such minors (children below the age of five) who were enrolled on the basis of a birth certificate without collecting their core biometrics can be shared.

“The Authority may, with the consent of parent or guardian, share the Aadhaar number, which was generated pursuant to enrolment of a child below the age of 5 years on the basis of a birth certificate and without collecting the core biometric information, with the Registrar General of India or Chief Registrar for a State appointed under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 to prevent duplicate enrolment on the basis of the same birth certificate,” UIDAI said in the notice, as per the official gazette of the Indian government (Gazette of India) dated August 22, 2025.

A parent’s Aadhaar card is required for a Baal Aadhaar enrolment, and the parent needs to carry the child’s birth certificate for authentication.

Deactivation of Aadhaar of a deceased person

In the same notification, UIDAI clarified the deactivation process of Aadhaar cards of deceased persons.

“In the principal regulations, in regulation 5, in sub-regulation (3), a proviso shall be inserted, namely:— ‘Provided that the same shall not be required in case of deactivation of the Aadhaar number of a deceased person under clause (ea) of sub-regulation (1) of Regulation 28 of The Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations, 2016’,” UIDAI stated.

This means that the deactivation of Aadhaar for a deceased person has been made simpler. Families or legal heirs of the member now won’t have to go through some of the usual mandatory steps (like biometric authentication, OTP or additional paperwork that were required under Regulation 5(3).