New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has successfully completed mandatory biometric updates of school students across more than 1 lakh schools within six months of launching a nationwide drive. According to an official statement, around 1.2 crore children have benefited from this initiative.
The mission mode biometric update (MBU) drive was launched to ensure that children update their Aadhaar details at the required stages of age. This large-scale effort has made the process easier by conducting camps directly within school campuses.
Free Biometric Update for Children Till October 2026
UIDAI has made the biometric update process free of cost for children in the 7 to 15 age group for a period of one year starting from October 1, 2025. This move aims to encourage maximum participation and ensure that no child is left behind.
Apart from school camps, children can also visit Aadhaar enrolment centres or Aadhaar Seva Kendras across the country to complete the process.
Over 1.03 Lakh Schools Covered Under the Drive
The authority has covered more than 1,03,000 schools across India, enabling students to complete their biometric updates conveniently within their school premises. This approach has reduced the need for parents to visit enrolment centres separately.
So far, nearly 1.2 crore school children have successfully completed their biometric updates through this initiative.
Why Biometric Update Is Important for Students
Updating biometric details in Aadhaar is essential for students as it helps in smooth authentication while accessing various government services and benefits. These include scholarships, welfare schemes, and registrations for major examinations such as NEET, JEE, and CUET.
Accurate biometric data ensures that students do not face issues during identity verification in the future.
Technology Integration Helped Speed Up the Process
The biometric update drive was launched in September 2025 after UIDAI integrated its system with the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+).
This integration allowed authorities to track the biometric update status of students and identify those who had not yet completed the process. As a result, targeted camps were organized in schools to complete pending updates efficiently.
Currently, around 4,000 machines are being used for this process, and efforts are ongoing to increase this number to speed up the remaining work.
Biometric Update Rules for Children
Children below the age of five can enrol for Aadhaar using basic details such as name, date of birth, gender, address, and birth certificate. However, biometric data like fingerprints and iris scans are not collected at this stage because these features are not fully developed.
Biometric updates become mandatory after crossing the ages of 5 and 15 years. This ensures that Aadhaar data remains accurate and usable for authentication purposes.
Final Words
The UIDAI’s large-scale biometric update drive has made it easier for millions of students to update their Aadhaar details without inconvenience. With free updates, school-based camps, and improved tracking systems, the initiative has significantly improved accessibility and efficiency.
Students and parents are advised to ensure timely biometric updates to avoid issues in availing benefits and appearing for important examinations.
