The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has completed more than 20 million (over 2 crore) Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBU) for school children as part of its nationwide mission-mode campaign.
The initiative has been supported by UIDAI’s integration with the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), allowing authorities to track the MBU status of children through schools.
Launched in September 2025, the special drive has so far covered more than 1.56 lakh schools across the country. Dedicated school-level camps and coordinated efforts by UIDAI and State/UT education departments have enabled children to complete their Aadhaar biometric updates directly at their schools, making the process more accessible for students and families.
For children below five years, Aadhaar enrolment captures demographic details and photographs, while fingerprints and iris scans are not collected as these biometrics are still developing. Mandatory Biometric Updates ensure that Aadhaar records are refreshed as children grow.
MBU is required when a child reaches 5 years of age and again at 15 years. Completing the updates on time can help ensure smoother Aadhaar authentication as children move through school and higher education and access services and benefits that require Aadhaar-based verification.
To promote timely updates, UIDAI waived MBU charges for children aged 7–15 years from October 1, 2025, for one year. MBU remains free for children aged 5–7 years and 15–17 years. As a result, MBU is effectively free for children aged 5–17 years until September 30, 2026.
UIDAI has cautioned that failure to complete the mandatory biometric update could create difficulties with Aadhaar authentication while accessing benefits under various Government schemes and registering for competitive and university examinations such as NEET, JEE and CUET.
The authority has urged parents and guardians to ensure that their children complete the required biometric updates within the prescribed timelines.