MP, 26 Mar 2025, Kolkata: The state School Education Department has directed all government and private schools to inform parents and students about the Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) for Aadhaar.
This move follows concerns raised by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) regarding more than one crore Aadhaar holders in the state who have yet to update their biometric details after turning 5 and 15 years old, as required by UIDAI guidelines.
UIDAI, in a communication to the state School Education Department dated February 27, has warned that failure to complete the MBU within the required timeframe—by age 7 for the first update (MBU-I) and by age 17 for the second update (MBU-II)—could result in Aadhaar becoming inactive.
This may lead to difficulties in availing government benefits, scholarships, and even submitting application forms for NEET, JEE, CUET, and other competitive exams.
According to UIDAI data, as of December 2023, West Bengal has 1.25 crore pending MBU cases, including 42.19 lakh cases for children aged 5–7 years and 83.04 lakh cases for those aged 15–17 years.
Responding to UIDAI’s concerns, the commissioner of the School Education Department instructed on Monday District Inspectors of Schools (DIs) at both primary and secondary levels to spread awareness among students and parents. The MBU process is free for children aged 5–7 years and 15–17 years.
However, applicable charges will apply for biometric updates after these age limits. Aadhaar holders are also advised to link their mobile numbers to Aadhaar. This linking also incurs a fee. Parents and students can visit authorised Aadhaar centers to complete the MBU process.
A district-wise list of these centers has been shared by the UIDAI with state authorities to ensure a smooth process.
UIDAI has also prepared informational materials, including short videos about the importance of the MBU in Hindi and Bengali. The department has provided a QR code to access the video link.
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