101 per cent of 62.3 crore adults in 23 states & Union Territories allotted Aadhaar numbers

NEW DELHI: Almost every adult in the states and Union Territories allotted to the Unique Identification Authority of India ( UIDAI) now has an Aadhaar number, with enrolment in these areas exceeding the population figures estimated for 2015.

As of June 15, Aadhaar numbers had been assigned to 62.7 crore people above the age of 18 in the 23 states and Union Territories designated to the authority, or 101% of the adult population of 62.3 crore projected by the agency for last year, according to data on the UIDAI website.

Delhi had the highest Aadhaar seeding at 127% of the projected adult population, while at the other end, the proportion was 85% in Bihar and 91% in Gujarat. The data could imply that residents of states such as Bihar and Gujarat had migrated to Delhi and registered for Aadhaar in the capital, officials said.

Enrolment levels exceeded 100% in 16 states, including Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, according to UIDAI data.

In Uttar Pradesh, which was shifted to UIDAI last year from the Registrar General of India (RGI), Aadhaar enrolment among adults was 99%. UP and Bihar were added to UIDAI’s jurisdiction last year.

In comparison, the RGI achieved an 82% adult enrolment level overall, with 81% in J&K, 72% in Manipur, 66% in Nagaland and 52% in Mizoram. Enrolment in states and UTs had been divided between the UIDAI and the RGI by the previous United Progressive Alliance government, with the RGI supposed to forward its data to UIDAI to generate Aadhaar.

UIDAI chief ABP Pandey had earlier told ET that more states may be transferred to UIDAI and discussions were going on with the RGI. Pandey had said the aim was to give every person in the country an Aadhaar number by next March. About 102.2 crore Aadhaar numbers had been issued as of June 16, covering about 80% of the estimated population in 2015.