Tamil Nadu Schools Launch Aadhaar Biometric Update Drive 2025

Tamil Nadu School Education Department has initiated a statewide Aadhaar biometric updation drive for nearly 15 lakh school students. The department has emphasized that students must complete the update by December 31, 2025, to avoid disruptions in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scholarships.

Tamil Nadu Aadhaar Biometric Update 2025 Details

The biometric updation programme is implemented in collaboration with India Post under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The campaign aims to remove verification hurdles caused by outdated biometrics, which have delayed scholarships for uniforms, textbooks, and tuition fees under schemes such as the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS). To make the process convenient, India Post is organising enrolment camps at schools across the state. These camps provide free biometric captures, including iris scans and fingerprints. The drive began in September in districts such as Coimbatore, with officials targeting full coverage ahead of the festive season. For additional updates, such as corrections to names or addresses, a nominal fee of INR 49 to INR 99 will apply until UIDAI approval allows free add-on services for government school students.

Biometric Update Participation and Awareness

So far, uptake has been gradual. In Coimbatore, only 1,348 of 31,000 students have completed the biometric update since the drive began. School principals have been instructed to display camp timetables prominently and coordinate with nearby post offices to increase participation. The drive follows a July 2025 central government order that mandates Aadhaar-linked authentication for over 143 schemes, disbursing INR 790 crore annually, covering programmes from pre-matric grants to postgraduate support. This Aadhaar update initiative ensures smooth DBT flows across welfare programmes while reducing the risk of misuse, benefiting students across Tamil Nadu.