The UIDAI has reportedly cancelled the Aadhaar cards of 2.5 crore people in just the last six months. Notably, only Aadhaar cards of deceased individuals are being deactivated or cancelled. The number of Aadhaar cards cancelled in the last six months alone is almost double the total number cancelled in the preceding 14 years from 2011 to 2025.
Currently, many Aadhaar cards belonging to non-existent individuals are active in the country! This is not so much due to fake Aadhaar cards or illegal identity documents, but rather due to the failure to deactivate the Aadhaar cards of deceased individuals. The central government is being held accountable for this.
As per reports, deactivation of Aadhaar has not been done keeping in pace with the country’s death rate. Last year, in response to an RTI filed by a national media outlet, the UIDAI stated that only 1.15 crore Aadhaar cards had been deactivated in the 14 years since 2011. This number is significantly lower than the country’s death rate.
Following the release of that report, the UIDAI quickly began the process of Aadhaar deactivation. The central government is desperate to create a balance between the death rate and the Aadhaar deactivation rate. In response to a question in Parliament, the government stated, “In the last six months, the Aadhaar cards of 2.5 crore deceased individuals have been deactivated.”
Why is it necessary to deactivate Aadhaar cards of the deceased?
The failure to deactivate the Aadhaar cards of deceased individuals increases the potential for misuse. Although Aadhaar is not currently considered proof of citizenship, almost all government services are accessible through Aadhaar. Also, other government documents can be easily created using Aadhaar. Hence, there is growing concern about whether these Aadhaar cards of deceased individuals are being misused.
Why Aadhaar not being accepted in Bengal? Mamata Banerjee asks Supreme Court
Earlier this week, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while arguing the case she filed questioning the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process in West Bengal, asked the Supreme Court “Why Aadhaar not being accepted in Bengal?”
Addressing a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi, the West Bengal Chief Minister argued for the acceptance of Aadhaar cards as valid documents for the SIR process. She said, “The people of Bengal are happy that the Supreme Court has said that Aadhaar cards should be accepted as valid documents. But Aadhaar cards are not being accepted in Bengal. In other states, domicile certificates, family register cards, government housing cards, and health cards are being accepted.”