Nagaland is stepping up efforts to expand Aadhaar coverage in low-saturation districts and tighten its integration with welfare delivery systems, with the State placing renewed focus on enrolment of children, biometric updates, and digitisation of identity records.
The direction emerged during the State-Level Unique Identification Implementation Committee (UIDIC) meeting held in Kohima on Thursday, where officials reviewed gaps in enrolment and discussed measures to strengthen Aadhaar-linked governance.
The meeting, chaired by Principal Secretary, Home Department, Abhijit Sinha, IAS, was attended by UIDAI officials from the Regional Office in Guwahati, including Deputy Director General Ngachan Zimik and Director Abhishek Koushik, along with senior officials from key departments including Economics & Statistics, Social Welfare, Food & Civil Supplies, India Post, CSC, and the Lead Bank.
One of the key focus areas discussed was the need to improve Aadhaar enrolment in districts with low coverage and reduce pendency in Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBU), particularly among school-going children.
Officials also deliberated on conducting mission-mode biometric update camps in schools, aimed at addressing discrepancies between Aadhaar records and student data in the UDISE+ education database.
The meeting further reviewed measures to accelerate Aadhaar enrolment for children aged 0–5 years through Birth Registration Based Aadhaar Enrolment (BRBAE) at district hospitals and health facilities, using Birth Registration Numbers.
Another key proposal discussed was the digitisation of birth registration records and conversion of non-digitised identity and address documents issued by the State government.
The committee also reviewed the use of Aadhaar seeding and authentication in the delivery of State-sponsored welfare schemes to strengthen Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanisms.
Officials noted that improving Aadhaar coverage and updating biometric data is critical for ensuring inclusion in government welfare systems, particularly in remote and under-served areas.
A new Aadhaar Seva Kendra is also being set up in Dimapur and is expected to become operational shortly, which officials said will improve access to enrolment and update services in the State.
Principal Secretary Abhijit Sinha, in his remarks, urged departments to intensify enrolment efforts and expedite biometric update camps to ensure that no eligible resident or child is left out of the Aadhaar system.