Aadhaar update: UIDAI announces complete fee waiver for biometric updates of children
Parents/ guardians are advised to update biometrics of their children/wards in Aadhaar, on priority, the UIDAI said
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced a complete waiver of charges for the mandatory biometric updates (MBU) of Aadhaar for children. This move, effective from 1 October and lasting for one year, is a "pro-people measure" expected to benefit approximately six crore children, according to an official statement released on Saturday.
“As per existing rules, therefore, fingerprints, iris and photo are mandatorily required to be updated in his/her Aadhaar when the child reaches the age of five years. This is called first Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU). Similarly, a child is required to update biometrics once again upon reaching the age of 15 years, which is referred to as the second MBU,” the UIDAI said.
“Aadhaar with updated biometric facilitates ease of living and ensures seamless usage of Aadhaar in availing services such as school admissions, registering for entrance examinations, availing benefits of scholarships, DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) schemes, etc wherever applicable. Parents/ guardians are advised to update biometrics of their children/wards in Aadhaar, on priority,” it added.
Why the biometric update is needed
When a child under the age of five is enrolled for Aadhaar, their photograph, name, date of birth, gender, address, and birth certificate are recorded. However, their fingerprints and iris biometrics are not captured because these features are not fully developed at such a young age.
Existing rules mandate that children's fingerprints, iris scans, and photograph must be updated twice during their childhood:
1. The first mandatory update is required after the child reaches the age of five years.
2. The second update is required to be done between the ages of 15 and 17 years.
New fee waiver
Previously, these crucial updates were allowed without any fee for children aged 5–7 years and those in the 15–17 age group. However, a fee of ₹125 per MBU was charged thereafter.
With this new decision, the UIDAI has made the MBU effectively free for all children aged 5 to 17. The authority stated that this fee waiver covers the first mandatory biometric update (MBU-1) and will remain in force for a period of one year from 1 October.