Aadhaar De-Seeding from NPCI Mapper: What It Means & Should You Do It?

In recent months, many bank customers in India have received alerts or emails about removing their Aadhaar number from the NPCI mapper—a process known as Aadhaar de-seeding. But what does it mean, and should you be concerned?

What is Aadhaar Seeding in the NPCI Mapper?

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) manages digital payment infrastructure, including the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS). To enable AePS transactions such as balance checks, withdrawals, and deposits using biometric data, an individual’s Aadhaar must be linked or “seeded” with their bank account in the NPCI mapper. This seeding also ensures that government subsidies like LPG, pensions, and MNREGA payments are directed to the default Aadhaar-linked bank account.

What Does Aadhaar De-Seeding Mean?

De-seeding refers to the removal of your Aadhaar number from a bank’s NPCI mapper. This stops Aadhaar-based payments and subsidies from being routed to that particular account. Regular banking services such as UPI, debit card usage, IMPS, and NEFT remain unaffected.

Why Are Banks Requesting Aadhaar De-Seeding?

Many banks have started sending emails and messages asking customers whether they want to de-seed their Aadhaar from the NPCI mapper. This has happened for several reasons:

1. RBI Guidelines and Supreme Court Ruling

In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory for bank accounts or mobile SIMs. Following this, RBI and UIDAI clarified that Aadhaar linking is optional and should be done only with customer consent.

Some banks had previously seeded Aadhaar numbers into the NPCI mapper without clear consent, which is now being corrected.

2. Customer Confusion and Misuse

In rural areas, many people do not know which bank is set as their Aadhaar-linked (NPCI-mapped) account, leading to confusion during subsidy credits. Sometimes, money gets credited to an old or inactive account if it is the one seeded in the NPCI mapper.

Also, Aadhaar-based frauds are increasing. In some cases, fraudsters use stolen Aadhaar numbers to carry out unauthorized transactions through AePS.

3. Multiple Accounts Linked to Aadhaar

Some customers have multiple bank accounts linked to Aadhaar. In such cases, only one account becomes the default in the NPCI mapper. This may lead to issues when receiving government benefits, as the money might go to an account the user doesn’t use anymore.

What Happens When You De-Seed Your Aadhaar?

Here’s what will happen if you decide to de-seed your Aadhaar from a bank’s NPCI mapper:

• Your Aadhaar number will no longer be linked to that bank in the NPCI system.
  
• You will not receive DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) subsidies in that account anymore.
  
• You cannot use AePS transactions on that account with Aadhaar and fingerprint.
  
• You can still use your bank account normally for UPI, debit card, IMPS, NEFT, etc.
  

This means only Aadhaar-based services will stop. Your normal banking services are not affected.

Should You De-Seed Your Aadhaar?

Whether you should de-seed your Aadhaar from the NPCI mapper depends on your needs:

You should consider de-seeding if

• You are not receiving any government subsidies like LPG, MNREGA, or pensions.
  
• You are worried about Aadhaar-based fraud or data security.
  
• You want to set another bank account as your default for Aadhaar-based DBT.
  
• You no longer use the current Aadhaar-linked bank account.
  

You should not de-seed if

• You rely on DBT for subsidies or welfare schemes.
  
• You want to continue using AePS with this bank account.
  
• You don’t have another bank account for DBT.
  

So, check whether your current Aadhaar-linked account is the one you use regularly. If not, update or change it instead of removing it entirely.

How to Check Which Bank Is Linked with Aadhaar in NPCI?

You can check which bank account is currently linked with your Aadhaar by:

Method 1: Via UIDAI Website

Step 1: Visit https://uidai.gov.in

Step 2: Go to Aadhaar Services > Check Aadhaar/Bank Linking Status

Step 3: Enter your Aadhaar number and OTP

Step 4: You will see the name of the bank mapped to your Aadhaar in NPCI

Method 2: Through your bank’s mobile app or net banking

Some banks allow you to check or update Aadhaar-NPCI linkage via their online services.

How to De-Seed Aadhaar from NPCI Mapper?

You can de-seed your Aadhaar in several ways depending on your bank. Common methods include:

1. Online through bank’s website or mobile app

• Log in to net banking or mobile banking
  
• Go to Aadhaar Linking/Delinking option
  
• Select “Remove Aadhaar from NPCI Mapper”
  
• Submit your request and confirm via OTP
  

2. Visit the branch

• Carry your Aadhaar card and bank passbook
  
• Fill a delinking form or give a written request
  
• Bank staff will process your de-seeding request
  

3. Through Aadhaar Seva Kendra

• Visit an authorized Aadhaar center
  
• Request to delink Aadhaar from NPCI mapper
  
• Submit biometric authentication
  

What If You Want to Re-Link or Change the Aadhaar Mapped Bank?

If you want to change your Aadhaar-linked bank, follow these steps:

1. Go to the new bank where you want to receive DBT
2. Submit a request to seed your Aadhaar with that account
3. The bank will update the NPCI mapper
4. Your new bank becomes the default DBT account

Only one bank can be active at a time for Aadhaar-based DBT in the NPCI mapper.