UIDAI completes 2 crore mandatory biometric updates for schoolchildren
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UIDAI said on 18 August 2026 that its school drive has completed over 2 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates in Aadhaar for children, covering over 1.56 lakh schools. The drive began in September 2025 using UDISE+ data. MBU is due at ages 5 and 15, and is free for children aged 5 to 17 till 30 September 2026.
- Date
- 18 Aug 2026, UIDAI (MeitY)
- Updates done
- over 2 crore
- Schools
- over 1.56 lakh
- Started
- September 2025
- Integration
- UDISE+
- Free MBU
- ages 5 to 17, till 30 September 2026
Aadhaar mandatory biometric updates for schoolchildren: what happened?
A child under five gets Aadhaar with only a photo and basic details, because fingerprints and iris are still developing. These must be added later. If they are not, the child may face trouble with Aadhaar checks for government schemes or exams like NEET and JEE.
- UDISE+ integration shows each school the MBU status of its children.
- Camps are held at schools with State/UT education departments.
- Charges for children aged 7 to 15 were waived for one year from 1 October 2025.
- MBU for ages 5 to 7 and 15 to 17 was already free.
When is MBU needed?
- When a child turns 5, and again at 15.
- Lack of MBU can cause problems in authentication for schemes and for exams like NEET, JEE and CUET.
Why does Aadhaar mandatory biometric updates for schoolchildren matter?
- Inclusion: Children do not lose benefits due to failed authentication.
- Governance: Data integration with UDISE+ for targeted camps.
What can Prelims ask on Aadhaar mandatory biometric updates for schoolchildren?
- Aadhaar MBU: at ages 5 and 15.
- Under-5 Aadhaar: photo and demographics only, no fingerprints or iris.
How to use this in Mains
- As per PIB (2026-08-18): UIDAI's special drive completed over 2 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates for children across ~1.6 lakh schools; MBU is free for ages 5–17 till 30 Sep 2026.
- Updated biometrics keep children from being excluded from scholarships and DBT.
Quotable data pointUIDAI's special drive completed over 2 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates for children across ~1.6 lakh schools.
PIB: MeitY: UIDAI MBU drive, 18 Aug 2026
Exam angle
Prelims: Aadhaar updates.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
Aadhaar Mandatory Biometric Updates for children are required at the ages of
Answer (b) & explanation
PIB (MeitY), 18 Aug 2026.
Questions students ask about this
What is a Mandatory Biometric Update?
An Aadhaar update that adds a child's fingerprints and iris at age 5 and refreshes them at age 15.
How many MBUs has the school drive completed?
Over 2 crore, across more than 1.56 lakh schools.
Is MBU free?
Yes, for children aged 5 to 17 till 30 September 2026.
Keep studying
Go deeper
Official source: PIB: MeitY: UIDAI MBU drive, 18 Aug 2026
facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending