3.16 crore Baal Aadhaars issued till now: Sources

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Four years after its introduction, 3.16 crore children have been issued Baal Aadhaars till now, sources told Moneycontrol.

Baal Aadhaars are given to those below the age of five years and it is linked with his/her parent's UID.

Sources also said that in the first quarter of FY23 (Apri-June), 52 lakh Baal Aadhaars have been issued till June 30.

These Aadhaars do not record biometric updates, since biometric components such as fingerprints are not completely developed in toddlers below the age of five.

The above numbers are also dynamic in nature since a lot of children, every day, go beyond the 5-year age limit of Baal Aadhaar, and similarly, a lot of enrollments are done every day as a result of childbirths.

After the age of 5, biometrics are updated, and the second update is taken up after the child reaches the age of 15.

“Baal Aadhaars are useful as it is a unique identifier of a child. It is also helpful in procuring welfare schemes such as Anganwadis and so on,” an official said.

Recently reports said that children may be unable to obtain benefits for availing hot cooked meals. It stoked a controversy.

“Baal Aadhaars are not mandatory for availing any benefit or subsidy. There will be no exclusion of service rendered due to Aadhaar or Baal Aadhaar,” an official said, maintaining that these Aadhaars are helpful as it facilitates identification.