Parents will no longer have to pay for their children’s Aadhaar biometric updates over the next year, after the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) announced a complete waiver of charges.
The relief, effective from October 1, applies to mandatory biometric updates (MBU-1) required when a child turns five, and again between the ages of 15 and 17. Previously, a fee of ₹125 was levied per update after the age of seven.
"In a pro-people measure, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has waived off all charges for Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU-1), a move that is expected to benefit around 6 crore children," the UIDAI said in a statement on Saturday.
Under the Aadhaar system, children below five years of age are enrolled using only demographic details such as name, date of birth, gender, address, and a birth certificate, alongside a photograph. Fingerprints and iris scans are not taken at this stage since biometrics are not yet mature.
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As per current rules, children must update their Aadhaar record with fingerprints, iris and a fresh photograph on turning five, and undergo a second update during adolescence. Until now, only those aged 5–7 and 15–17 years had been exempt from the fee.
The waiver extends this benefit to all children up to 17 years of age, making the process entirely free during the stipulated update windows. Authorities said the move is intended to ease compliance for families and ensure accuracy in the Aadhaar database as children grow.
The UIDAI, which oversees the country’s Aadhaar system of unique identity numbers, has in recent months expanded initiatives aimed at reducing procedural barriers for citizens, particularly for school-going children and those from low-income households.
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