Centre allows UPSC to use Aadhaar-based authentication of candidates

In addition to Aadhaar authentication, the UPSC plans to implement facial recognition and AI-based CCTV surveillance to combat cheating and impersonation.

The Centre has authorised the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to use Aadhaar-based authentication for verifying candidates' identities, both during registration and at various stages of examinations and recruitment. The new measure, announced on August 28, would be voluntary.

The decision follows the UPSC’s recent action against probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar whose provisional candidature was cancelled for allegedly having exceeded the number of attempts allowed in the civil services examination and misusing disability and OBC (non-creamy layer) quotas by fudging documents.

According to a notification from the personnel ministry, the UPSC can use Aadhaar authentication for identity verification through the "One Time Registration" portal and throughout the examination and recruitment processes. The commission must comply with the Aadhaar Act, 2016, and adhere to the rules set by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

The UPSC has also filed a case of forgery against Khedkar after she allegedly falsified her identity to gain additional attempts in the civil services exam. A probe is on against Khedkar, who has challenged her disqualification and refuted all charges.

Khedkar has been granted interim protection from arrest till August 29 when the high court will hear the case.

The UPSC also plans to implement facial recognition and AI-based CCTV surveillance to combat cheating and impersonation. The commission has issued a tender for technology solutions, including Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication, digital fingerprint capturing, facial recognition, QR code scanning of e-admit cards, and live AI-based CCTV surveillance.

The UPSC conducts 14 major exams annually, including the civil services examination to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and other allied services. Each year, lakhs of candidates sit these exams across the country.

(with PTI inputs)