Bhubaneswar- Despite Aadhaar becoming an essential document for accessing government and health services, a recent report has revealed alarming gaps in Aadhaar registration among children in Odisha. More than 60 percent of children under the age of five in the state still do not possess an Aadhaar card. This has raised serious concerns about administrative irregularities and the effectiveness of Aadhaar enrolment processes.
According to district-wise Aadhaar saturation data, the enrolment rate for children aged 0–5 years is below 50 percent in at least 22 districts of Odisha. Given the growing necessity of Aadhaar—ranging from medical services to welfare schemes—this lack of coverage highlights a significant administrative shortfall. Aadhaar is no longer just for adults; even infants now require it in many official procedures.
Despite a stringent enrolment framework, the state is lagging behind. Only 12.73 lakh out of an estimated 32.48 lakh children in the 0–5 age group have been issued Aadhaar numbers. Similarly, for children between the ages of 5 and 18 years, only 92.62 lakh out of 1.01 crore have Aadhaar cards. These figures were presented by the Deputy Director of the Hyderabad regional office of UIDAI.
Yet, interestingly, Aadhaar generation appears to have exceeded the estimated adult population. While the projected population of people above 18 years is around 3.34 crore, Aadhaar has been generated for about 3.72 crore individuals in this age group. This suggests either over-registration or data inconsistencies in population estimates.
Overall, Odisha has completed Aadhaar enrolment for 4.78 crore individuals out of a projected population of 4.68 crore as of May 31, showing that the adult segment has been largely covered while younger age groups remain left out.
The concern deepens when observing the current saturation rate for the 0–5 age group, which stands at just 39.2 percent. In response, the Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has directed district officials to ensure that Aadhaar registration is carried out at the time of birth to improve coverage.
Authorities now plan to reform the state’s birth and death registration process under the RBD Act. The new approach will ensure that a birth certificate is issued before the mother is discharged from the hospital and will be followed by immediate Aadhaar registration of the newborn.
Additionally, children below 18 years will be required to undergo two rounds of mandatory biometric updates to maintain the accuracy and validity of their Aadhaar details as they grow older.
These steps aim to bridge the current gaps and bring uniformity and completeness to Aadhaar enrolment across all age groups in the state.
