Govt to Amend Aadhaar Act in Line with DPDP Act

The move addresses issues like repeated authentication requests, redundant consent forms, and unauthorized reuse of Aadhaar data—practices that the current framework fails to regulate effectively.



In a major policy shift, the Indian government is preparing to introduce significant amendments to the Aadhaar Act, 2016, aiming to align it with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023. The proposed Aadhaar Act amendment 2025 is part of a broader push to ensure Aadhaar and DPDP compliance, placing user privacy and data protection at the core of digital governance.

The upcoming Aadhaar Act update is expected to address multiple issues in the current system, including repeated data requests for user authentication, unnecessary consent forms, and the widespread reuse of Aadhaar details beyond their intended purpose. These practices, experts say, undermine user trust and expose personal data to potential misuse.

Under the revised framework, the government aims to implement key principles outlined in the government data protection bill, such as data minimization, purpose limitation, and mandatory data erasure. This means organizations and agencies requesting Aadhaar details must limit their data collection strictly to what is essential, obtain clear and informed consent from users, and erase data once its intended use is fulfilled.

Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, confirmed the move through a video message posted on social media platform X, stating that, “We need to see how the Aadhaar law can be harmonized vis-à-vis the DPDP Act, keeping user interest at the centre.”

Experts have welcomed the proposed Aadhaar Act amendment 2025, noting that it could significantly enhance data privacy safeguards and bring Aadhaar usage in line with global standards. Once implemented, the amendments are expected to ensure greater accountability from both public and private sector entities using Aadhaar data and reinforce India’s commitment to privacy in the digital age.