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Time of India
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
UIDAI move to deactivate Aadhaar of deceased sparks concerns over accuracy, process
Pune: The Unique Identification Authority of India's (UIDAI) ongoing drive to deactivate Aadhaar numbers of deceased individuals using state death registration data has triggered concerns among activists and experts, who fear the process could lead to wrongful deletions due to outdated or incomplete data. UIDAI has deactivated around 1.17 crore Aadhaar numbers after accessing approximately 1.55 crore death records from 24 states and union territories through the Registrar General of India. The move is aimed at preventing identity misuse and enhancing the accuracy of the Aadhaar database, according to a statement issued by the UIDAI office early last week. A new feature introduced last month on the myAadhaar portal allows family members in these states to report the death of a relative by submitting their Aadhaar number and death registration details. A similar process is being rolled out in non-civil registration system states, where only 6.7 lakh records have been shared so far. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune However, activist groups and policy observers have warned that in the absence of a foolproof and fully digitised birth and death registration mechanism, such steps may pose more harm than benefit. "Unless there is a robust and verified system in place, this could result in wrongful deactivation of Aadhaar numbers, particularly in states where death registration is poorly maintained," said Pune-based activist Shrikant Joshi. "Many states still face significant delays in updating death data, and a sudden deletion of Aadhaar can cause undue hardship to family members relying on it for posthumous legal, financial, or welfare matters. " Former bureaucrat V Ramani pointed out that the lack of digitisation in death certification could render UIDAI's efforts unreliable. "While Aadhaar may be submitted at the time of death registration, the absence of digital records and verification mechanisms could lead to errors with far-reaching consequences," he said. Activist Sheila Dave also questioned the timing of the move, citing gaps in the civil registration infrastructure. "Deactivating Aadhaar based on flawed or incomplete data could open the door to systemic errors. This should be done only when there is confidence in the registration system's accuracy." The UIDAI statement said it ensured that safeguards are in place to validate death information before deactivating any Aadhaar number. It is also piloting a project to verify the status of Aadhaar holders aged above 100, in collaboration with state govts. The authority is exploring additional data sources such as banks and Aadhaar ecosystem partners to ensure comprehensive coverage. Officials have advised families to report the death of Aadhaar holders on the myAadhaar portal after securing a valid death certificate from local authorities to prevent identity misuse posthumously. While UIDAI's efforts are positioned as a proactive step towards data hygiene and fraud prevention, the success of the initiative hinges on timely, universal, and digitally verifiable death registrations — an area where much work remains, said an official from the state information technology department.
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
ECI to auto-remove names of deceased voters using integrated death data; experts warn of implementation challenges
Pune: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to integrate electronic death data to update voter rolls, but experts caution that physical verification is still necessary because of potential delays in updating death records and data discrepancies. ECI introduced this reform last month to obtain death registration data electronically from the Registrar General of India, which maintains a mandatory database following 2023 amendments to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act. This would eliminate dependence on booth level officers' field visits to gather data on deceased voters. V Ramani, former director general of Yashada, emphasised that the Representation of People's Act mandated specific procedures for deletion and addition of names. "Even if ECI has recommended using electronic data from birth and death registration, there is no guarantee that it is completely updated. There's a good chance that unless the data is foolproof, names will be accidentally deleted, considering the sheer volume involved," he said. Ramani argued that traditional door-to-door verification by booth-level officers remained more effective. "Checking data from the registration of birth and death may help BLOs double-check information, but they must visit each location to delete names. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esse novo alarme com câmera é quase gratuito em Uberlândia (consulte o preço) Alarmes Undo Else, there could be chaos during elections," he said, while suggesting that the birth and death registration website should serve as a reference tool only, not the primary deletion mechanism. The Registrar General of India (RGI) recently directed hospitals to report births and deaths within 21 days after finding many violations. Instead of immediate reporting, hospitals often wait for relatives to make a request in such cases. In a March 17, 2025 circular, the RGI stated 90% of events were registered, but "100% registration is yet to be achieved". "This shows that updates are not being completed in a timely manner. When the reference data itself is not up to the mark, ECI cannot use this as the benchmark for deleting voter data," Ramani said. Former bureaucrat Mahesh Zagade suggested that integrating birth and death registration data should be treated as a supplementary measure, and not a substitute, for ground verification by BLOs. "What we urgently need is a clean and error-free voter list that addresses both new registrations and the removal of deceased voters," he said. Zagade laid stress on transparency in the integration process, with voter rolls published booth-wise across the state's one lakh polling booths. "Citizens should be able to locate their names easily, raise objections and seek corrections. The BLOs' role in physically verifying and double-checking the data is crucial and must not be diluted," he added. Former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said there should be a system whereby the moment a death certificate was issued, the name on the voter rolls should be deleted. Election officials said they would look into all the recommendations. The officials said they would explore both the options once the data was made available. "It would be thoroughly checked," said a senior election official.
