The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Saturday waived off all charges for the Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU-1) for children aged 7-15 for Aadhaar verification. The move is likely to benefit around six crore children, an official told IANS. The waiver of MBU charges will remain effective for a period of one year after it kicked in from October 1.
What do the existing rules say?
As per the pre-existing rules, fingerprints and a photograph are mandatorily required to be updated in the Aadhaar of the recipient when the child reaches the age of five years. This process of renewing the child’s records after they reach the age of 5 comes under the part of the Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) requirement of the existing policy.
A child is required to update their biometrics once again upon reaching the age of 15 years for their second MBU. The first and second MBUs are generally performed when the child is between the ages of 5-7 and 15-17 years, respectively. It is up to this point that the biometric upgrades can be made without incurring a cost. Thereafter, a prescribed fee of Rs 125 per MBU is charged. With this decision, MBU is now effectively free for all children in the age group of 5-17.
Advisory for parents
As per government officials, having an Aadhaar with updated biometrics can make the process of availing services such as school admissions, registering for entrance examinations completely seamless. Parents/ guardians are advised to update the biometrics of their children/wards in Aadhaar, on priority.