Missing since November 2023, Assam boy reunited via Aadhaar

A speech and hearing-impaired child who had been missing since November 2023 was successfully reunited with his family in Dhemaji district, Assam, cpurtesy of timely Aadhaar biometric identification support.

The incident sheds light on the importance of Aadhaar enabling identity verification.

The child, identified as Ram Bahadur Pradhan, was found wandering alone and disoriented by locals in Duliajan, Assam on November 10, 2023. He was handed over to the local police and subsequently placed under the care of Mrinaljyoti Jyotiniwas Children Home in Duliajan, Dibrugarh district.

Given the child’s communication challenges, efforts to establish his identity through writing and sign language proved unsuccessful. However, when shown a set of visual aids, he pointed towards an Aadhaar card, indicating his familiarity with the system. 

Recognising the potential of Aadhaar in tracing his identity, the Superintendent of the children’s home reached out to the Regional Office of UIDAI in Guwahati on April 9, 2025, seeking assistance.

The UIDAI Regional Office advised initiating Aadhaar biometric authentication. Upon capturing the child’s fingerprints, a match was found in the UIDAI database, leading to the successful identification of his existing Aadhaar record. This breakthrough enabled the authorities to locate his home address and promptly contact his family.

On April 23, 2025, Ram Bahadur Pradhan was joyfully reunited with his family, bringing closure to a months-long ordeal.

UIDAI continues to encourage parents to enroll their children for Aadhaar at the earliest and ensure timely biometric updates.