Uttar Pradesh Tackles Massive Aadhaar Update Backlog for Children

Uttar Pradesh is grappling with a significant backlog of Aadhaar updates, with approximately 2.5 crore individuals over the age of 15 needing to update their biometric details. According to officials from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), this situation is particularly pressing in schools where targeted efforts are being made to address the issue.

Among the affected population, around 1.4 crore children aged between 5 and 15 years have yet to complete their Aadhaar updates. This includes essential biometric revisions that are crucial for many services. Prashant Kumar Singh, deputy director general at the UIDAI’s regional office in Lucknow, confirmed that despite focused initiatives in educational institutions, the backlog remains substantial.

The cities of Lucknow, Noida, Agra, and Meerut are among those experiencing the highest levels of pending updates. Currently, the UIDAI reports that it has enrolled about 57.86 lakh children under the age of five and 5.90 crore children aged five to 15 in Uttar Pradesh. To expedite the process, UIDAI has launched a statewide updation campaign, commencing on September 9, 2023. This initiative has resulted in a notable increase in completed updates across various districts.

As part of the campaign, UIDAI has established around 150 operational camps. Once the backlog in a particular school is addressed, the equipment is relocated to the next site. Of the 10,000 camps planned, over 3,000 have already been completed, leading to approximately 4 lakh biometric updates in targeted schools since the drive began.

The state boasts 2.63 lakh government, private, and aided schools, accommodating 4.18 crore students. However, the backlog persists as many students have either migrated, left school, or transferred to different institutions without finalizing their Aadhaar updates. The current backlog includes around 60 lakh students aged 5 to 15 years and 40 lakh individuals over the age of 15.

UIDAI has adopted a targeted strategy to address this issue, focusing on the top ten schools with the highest number of pending updates in each of the state’s 822 administrative blocks. This approach aims to prioritize 10,000 schools, which represent only 4% of the total two lakh schools in Uttar Pradesh but account for nearly 30% of the total biometric backlog. Officials indicate that this focused method allows teams to efficiently cover areas with high concentrations of pending cases, facilitating quicker progress in the campaign’s early stages.

In a bid to encourage participation, UIDAI has made the biometric update process completely free for children aged 5 to 17 years. This policy has significantly enhanced participation rates across districts, as the authority continues its efforts to ensure that all eligible individuals can complete their Aadhaar updates.