More than 79 lakh children aged under 5 years have been enrolled in the Unique Identification Authority of India, a custodian of Aadhaar, an official statement said on Monday.
The enrolment is part of a renewed effort to reach more children in the 0 - 5 age group under the Bal Aadhaar initiative and help parents and children get multiple benefits.
The statement said that the Unique Identification Authority has enrolled more than 79 lakh children in the age group during the first four months of April -- July of the current financial year.
As of March 31, 2022, 2.64 crore children in the 0-5 age group had Bal Aadhaar, this number has gone up to 3.43 crore by the end of July 2022.
More than 70 per cent of the targeted age group have already been covered by the enrollments of children in the 0 -- 5 age group in states like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. The registration of children 0 -- 5 years old has also done exceptionally well in several other states and UTs, including Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Lakshadweep, according to the statement.
Aadhaar saturation at present is around 94 per cent. The aadhaar saturation of adults is almost 100 per cent.
Children in the age group of 0 -- 5 years are given Bal Aadhaar.
Biometric fingerprints and iris data are a key feature in issuing Aadhaar, as it is necessary to establish uniqueness. Biometrics are not collected for Aadhaar enrolment of children in the age group 0 -- 5 years.
It is issued in blue colour to distinguish the Bal Aadhaar from normal Aadhaar, with a remark that this is valid until the child attains the age of 5 years. On reaching the age of 5, the child is required to furnish his or her biometrics at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra to complete a process called the mandatory biometric update.