After the death of a family member, the bereaved family has to deal with many administrative and legal responsibilities. One of the most important documents is that of the deceased. Aadhaar card. Aadhaar is the most important document for identity and financial transactions in the country, hence there is a possibility of its misuse after death, identity theft or fraud like fake loans and bank accounts. Many people think that after death the Aadhaar card should be destroyed or it has to be returned directly to UIDAI. However, a clear system of its disposal and reporting has been made under the rules of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and Government of India.
As per the existing rules of UIDAI, the 12 digit Aadhaar number of any individual is never allotted to any other person nor is the data technically permanently deleted from the database. However, it Deactivate Or Marked Deceased This is done so that no new authentication, e-KYC or financial transaction can be done through that number. Therefore the family should never burn or throw away the card, but should keep its records and death certificate safe until all legal procedures are completed.
Aadhaar deactivation of the deceased is now largely automated under an integrated arrangement between the Registrar General of India (RGI) and UIDAI, Government of India:
-
Aadhaar details at the time of death registration: When the family fills the form to register the death in the Municipal Corporation, Municipality or Gram Panchayat, the Aadhaar details of the deceased and the identity card of the main member of the family are asked for.
-
Data Sync from CRS Portal: As soon as the official death certificate is issued on the Civil Registration System (CRS), this information is sent to UIDAI from the database.
-
Auto-Deactivation: After verification, UIDAI blocks/deactivates that Aadhaar number in the central database, thereby eliminating the possibility of any kind of biometric or OTP based cloning.
If for some reason the automatic linking is taking time, the family should immediately adopt the following safety measures:
-
Lock biometrics instantly from mAadhaar app: If the family has an active registered mobile number linked to the Aadhaar of the deceased, then they can log in to the official website of UIDAI or mAadhaar app. Lock biometrics (fingerprint and iris) forever Do it. With this, no person will be able to succeed in withdrawing money or issuing SIM card through cloned fingerprint.
-
Stop using Virtual ID (VID): Visit the portal and check the authentication history to ensure that no unauthorized activity has taken place after the death.
-
Information at nearest Aadhar Seva Kendra (ASK): A family member can get the death entry manually verified by visiting the nearest Aadhaar center or local registrar office with the original death certificate, Aadhaar card of the deceased and his/her own identity card.
Before immediately stopping the use of Aadhaar after death, the family has to complete some important formalities:
-
Bank Accounts and Nominee Claims: For withdrawing deposits in the bank accounts of the deceased, breaking FD or for claim settlement, banks ask for a self-attested copy of the Aadhaar and death certificate of the deceased.
-
Insurance and EPFO: Aadhaar records of the deceased are required for KYC matching during life insurance, PF and gratuity claims.
-
PAN Card and ITR: Aadhaar details are also required for filing final return (as a legal hire) with the Income Tax Department. Once all the financial settlements are completed, the death notice is also registered with the relevant departments.
After all legal, bank and insurance claims are completed, 5-10 attested copies of Aadhar Card, PAN Card and Death Certificate of the deceased should be saved by the main family member in his safe file. In future, this document may be required to match old records during division of ancestral property, execution of will or transfer of land or property. Avoid handing over the identity card of the deceased to any unknown person or non-government organization.