Over 7.9 million enrolled under Bal Aadhaar initiative

Source: The post is based on the article “Over 7.9 million enrolled under Bal Aadhaar initiative” published in Hindustan Times on 16th August 2022.

What is the News?

Over 7.9 million children aged up to five were enrolled under the Unique Identification Authority’s Bal Aadhaar initiative from April to July.

What is Bal Aadhar?

Baal Aadhaar is a blue-coloured variant of the Aadhaar Card. It is issued for children below the age of 5 years.

How is Bal Aadhar different from Aadhar Card?

Biometrics to establish uniqueness for the Bal Aadhar is not collected unlike in the case of Aadhaar. A facial image of a child is instead taken for enrolment. 

Moreover, biometric authentication of the parent/guardian and a proof of relationship document, preferably a birth certificate, are collected at the time of enrolment.

What happens to the Baal Aadhar after the children turn five?

On attaining the age of five, the child is required to furnish his or her biometrics at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra to complete a process called mandatory biometric update(MBU). 

The MBU process goes through a de-duplication process. After completion of this process, the child is issued a normal Aadhaar without any change in the Aadhaar number.