Exclusions continue, yet the Aadhaar net expands | June 2025 update

In spite of all the reports of hardship and exclusion as well as continuing fraud from the use of Aadhaar, the government keeps expanding its scope and making it mandatory for legal entitlements as well. We are sharing a round-up of recent developments. We urge you to share these updates with your networks as well.

Exclusions continue

Difficulties faced by victims of acid attacks in enrolling for Aadhaar – they had to go to Court to find a way, by John Simte | A video story on this from Scroll.in

Here’s another by him on the same issue, in The India Forum

Problems – and queues – to keep Aadhaar up to date and usable, by Aparna Kalra.

On Aadhaar and adivasis, by Chakradhar Buddha and BDS Kishore

…Its usefulness continues to be questioned:

Andy Mukherjee (Bloomberg columnist): https://x.com/andymukherjee70/status/1934939679125917703

…Fraud continues in spite of Aadhaar or even because of Aadhaar

Mastermind who cheated 26 crores, only 'alive' on Aadhar card, Dainik Bhaskar 

Using Aadhaar to defraud people of their PDS rations in UP, Daily Pioneer

Its role in helping candidates cheat in MP constable exam, Indian Express

Yet, the use of Aadhaar keeps expanding

Mandatory for tatkal bookings: https://x.com/AshwiniVaishnaw/status/1930292913579147360

“Facial recognition” mandatory for ‘take-home rations’ given to pregnant women at anganwadis.

Many reacted angrily (as they should): see Sucheta Dalal, Rathin Roy, Martin Haus, Neel Kolhe.  

In Jan 2024, Anganwadi workers in Andhra Pradesh were already raising issues related to over-use of apps. 

Book on facial recognition by Amber Sinha and old article on this by Gautam Bhatia

Related news, wider reading and from around the world

Biometrics of arrestees being collected in Rajasthan and Delhi, Vijaita Singh

https://www.medianama.com/2025/06/223-uidai-anonymised-aadhaar-data-risks/

Two perspectives on doorstep delivery of PDS grain –– a rollback in AP and one that never took off (perhaps just as well that it didn’t) in Delhi (from 2021)

Three stories on the growing worries about Palantir: The Daily Show, Rob Reich’s subtack, in The New York Times