UIDAI completes over 20 million biometric updates for school kids

UIDAI has successfully completed over 20 million Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBU) for school children. The initiative, in collaboration with UDISE+, makes the update process free for children aged 5-17 until September 30, 2026.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has completed over 20 million (over 2 crore) Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBU) for school children across the country.

Special Drive and UDISE+ Integration

According to the Ministry of Electronics & IT, "the initiative was enabled by UIDAI's technological integration with the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), which provides visibility of the MBU status of children at schools." The special drive, initiated in September 2025, has by now covered over 1.56 lakh schools, enabling school children to complete their Aadhaar biometric updates conveniently through dedicated school-level camps and coordinated outreach by UIDAI and state/UT education departments. This has helped MBU service to reach children directly at their schools, making the process more accessible and convenient for crores of students, the ministry noted.

Understanding MBU for Children

Aadhaar enrolment for children below five years captures demographic information and photographs, while fingerprints and iris biometrics are not captured at that age, as these biometrics are still developing. MBU helps ensure that the child's Aadhaar continues to have updated biometric information.

MBU is required when a child attains the age of 5 years and again at 15 years. Timely completion helps ensure a smoother Aadhaar authentication experience as children progress through school and higher education and access various services and benefits where Aadhaar authentication may be required.

MBU Now Free for Children Aged 5-17

To encourage timely completion and make the service more accessible, UIDAI had waived the charges for MBU for children in the 7-15-year-old age group from October 1, 2025, for a period of one year. MBU for children in the 5-7 years and 15-17 years age groups continues to be free of charge. So, technically MBU is now free between the ages of 5 and 17 years till September 30, 2026.

Importance and Consequences of Incomplete MBU

Lack of MBU in Aadhaar may lead to difficulties while carrying out authentication for receiving benefits under various government schemes and registering in competitive and university examinations like NEET, JEE, CUET, etc.

UIDAI has been urging parents and guardians to complete the MBU in Aadhaar for their children. (ANI)

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