UIDAI Mission Drive Covers Biometric Updates in Over 1 Lakh Schools

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has successfully completed mandatory biometric updates (MBU) for students across more than 1,03,000 schools under a nationwide mission-mode drive, benefiting around 1.2 crore school children .

Launched in September 2025 , the drive was initiated after successful technological integration with the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) , enabling authorities to identify students due for biometric updates. The system provided visibility of MBU status and facilitated the organisation of biometric camps directly at school campuses.

Under the initiative, MBU in Aadhaar for children in the 7–15 age group has been made free of cost for one year starting October 1, 2025 . Apart from school-based camps, children can also complete their biometric updates by visiting any Aadhaar enrolment centre or Aadhaar Seva Kendra across the country.

The drive is being executed with the support of around 4,000 biometric machines , and authorities are working to further increase this number to accelerate coverage. The mission-mode approach has enabled large-scale coordination between schools and UIDAI, ensuring smoother implementation and higher participation.

Biometric updates are essential because children initially enrolled in Aadhaar before the age of five do not provide fingerprint and iris data , as these biometric indicators are not fully developed at that stage. Therefore, biometric details must be updated when children reach the ages of 5 years and 15 years to maintain authentication accuracy.

Updated biometric records allow students to seamlessly access government welfare schemes, scholarships, and educational benefits , and to register for competitive and university examinations such as NEET, JEE, and CUET , wherever applicable.

According to the official statement, the initiative has helped millions of students complete their mandatory biometric update conveniently at their respective schools, ensuring wider coverage and improved service delivery.

The exercise remains ongoing as part of UIDAI’s broader efforts to strengthen Aadhaar authentication and improve digital identity management for school-going children across India.