Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Dec 6: The Karnataka government has directed the Department of School Education to ensure the completion of Aadhaar Mandatory Biometric Updates (Aadhaar MBU) for students aged 5 and 15 years by March 1 next year.

Under the directive, when a child reaches the age of 5 or 15, all biometric data—including photograph, fingerprints, and scans of both irises—must be re-recorded. A de-duplication process is carried out at this stage. According to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), this is considered a new enrolment while retaining the original Aadhaar number, and is provided free of cost.

The government highlighted that delays in updating Aadhaar data could impede students from applying for scholarships, appearing for examinations, or accessing various central and state benefits. “It is imperative that the department and schools ensure all students complete the biometric update by the stipulated date,” the order stated.

Schools and colleges have been instructed to facilitate Aadhaar renewal camps on their premises. District-level committees are to be formed to ensure that students attend the update camps on scheduled dates.

UIDAI will provide the details of students requiring Aadhaar MBUs, based on UDISE data, broken down taluk-wise and school-college-wise.

The Commissioner of School Education must forward this information to the district deputy directors of public instruction, who are responsible for preparing a schedule and completing the updates within the stipulated period.

The chief executive officer of the Zilla Panchayat must monitor progress and set weekly targets to ensure compliance.