Govt. orders Aadhaar Mandatory Biometric Update for schoolchildren aged between 5 and 15

The State government has ordered Aadhaar Mandatory Biometric Update (Aadhaar MBU) for students aged between five and 15 in all schools across the State to effectively implement mid-day meals, scholarships and other schemes of the Union and State governments.

The Center for e-Governance (CeG) will act as the registrar for the Aadhaar MBU process. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will collect and provide information on students who need to update their biometrics on the basis of Unified District Information System for Education, taluk and school wise.

The State government issued a circular on December 1, setting a deadline of March 1, 2026, for the process to be completed.

To effectively implement schemes like mid-day meals, the Department of School Education and Literacy had taken steps for Aadhaar authentication with the Student Achievement Tracking System in the schools. However, this work is not yet complete.

“Due to the pending Aadhaar MBU, students will face delays in applying for scholarships, various examinations and availing themselves of the benefits of Central/State programmes. In this context, it is necessary to complete the Aadhaar MBU of all students who have reached the age of five and 15,” read the circular.

A child under the age of five enrolls for Aadhaar by providing the photograph, name, date of birth, gender, address, and birth certificate. The biometric details such as fingerprints and iris are not captured for Aadhaar enrolment below the age of five. Therefore, updating fingerprints, iris, and photo in Aadhaar is mandatory when the child reaches the age of five. This is called first Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU). When Aadhaar number holder attains age of 15 years should furnish all biometrics (photo, fingerprints and both iris) for update, which is referred to as the second MBU.

Commissioners of Public Instruction and the Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayat have been made in charge of the Aadhaar MBU. The government has instructed them to hold review meeting every week about the progress. It also instructed them to conduct Aadhaar update camps on school premises to create awareness of the importance and purpose of Aadhaar update among students, parents and School Development Monitoring Committees.