RTI: Despite 117 million deaths, only 10% Aadhaar deactivated, questioning UIDAI's efficiency
A significant disclosure regarding the Aadhaar card system, used as a digital identity for citizens in the country, has emerged from the Right to Information (RTI). It has been revealed that although approximately 117 million citizens have died in the last 14 years, only 11.5 million Aadhaar numbers have been deactivated during the same period.
Significant Discrepancy in Figures
According to the United Nations Population Division's estimates, India's total population in April 2025 is 1.4639 billion, out of which 1.4239 billion people have Aadhaar cards. On the other hand, according to India's Civil Registration System (CRS) data, an average of 8.35 million deaths occurred annually from 2007 to 2019. Accordingly, the total number of deaths over 14 years reaches 116.9 million. However, UIDAI has deactivated only 11.5 million Aadhaar numbers, which is just 10 percent of the total deaths.
Information about people without Aadhaar is not available with UIDAI
Under RTI, it was asked how many people in the country do not have Aadhaar cards, to which UIDAI clarified that no definite statistics are available. According to UIDAI, the process of deactivating Aadhaar only begins when the registration officer records a death with the Aadhaar number. Specific percentage criteria are applied for consistency in name and gender – the name must match 90% and the gender must match 100%.
Role of Biometric Verification
If these two conditions are met and no biometric activity is found related to that number, only then is the Aadhaar number deactivated. Sometimes, if it is found that a deceased person's Aadhaar number is still in use after death, further investigation is conducted. There is also an opportunity that an incorrectly deactivated Aadhaar can be reactivated based on biometric verification.
Shocking Saturation Figures in Bihar
During the election special summary revision in Bihar, more than 100% Aadhaar saturation was recorded in some districts. Kishanganj district recorded 126%, Katihar and Araria recorded 123%, Purnia 121%, and Sheikhpura 118% saturation, which is considered a warning bell for the administration.
No details of Aadhaar numbers deactivated every year
Under RTI, it was asked how many Aadhaar numbers were deactivated each year in the past five years, to which UIDAI stated that they do not have any specific year-wise information. They only provided the total figure – 1.15 crore Aadhaar numbers have been deactivated by December 31, 2024.