The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has completed mandatory biometric updates for more than 2 crore school children by conducting camps in approximately 1.56 lakh schools, according to medianama.com. This effort was facilitated through a technical integration with the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), a Ministry of Education database that tracks students due for biometric updates.
UIDAI’s biometric update process involves collecting fingerprints and iris scans twice during childhood—once at age five and again at age 15—to account for physiological changes. Traditionally, families had to visit enrolment centres, but this time UIDAI brought enrolment kits directly to schools. The UDISE+ integration enabled schools to identify students who required updates, effectively turning a national compliance requirement into a school-level checklist. However, the disclosure did not specify what parental consent was obtained during these school camps, raising questions under the Data Protection and Privacy (DPDP) Act.
This initiative addresses a longstanding gap in biometric data accuracy for children enrolled in Aadhaar, India’s national identity system. By leveraging the UDISE+ database, UIDAI streamlined the update process, potentially increasing compliance rates. The approach contrasts with previous methods that relied on families to initiate updates, which often led to delays. The use of school infrastructure for biometric updates could serve as a model for other government services that require timely data collection from minors.
UIDAI’s biometric update camps concluded recently, with the authority setting a deadline of September 30 for completing these mandatory updates. The integration with UDISE+ remains a key tool for tracking compliance at the school level, although questions about consent and data privacy persist.