Central Government Approves Aadhaar-Based Authentication for UPSC Exams

The central government has granted permission for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to use Aadhaar-based authentication as a voluntary method to verify candidates' identities. This new measure is set to be implemented during registration and throughout various stages of the examination process.

This decision was formalized by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions through a notification issued yesterday. The primary goal of this initiative is to enhance the integrity and security of the UPSC's examination procedures.

The UPSC is now authorized to utilize Aadhaar's Yes/No or e-KYC authentication services on its "one-time registration" portal and throughout its recruitment processes. The notification references the Aadhaar Act of 2016 and the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance Rules, 2020, as the legal framework underpinning this decision. The UPSC is required to adhere to all relevant provisions of these regulations, as well as the directives issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which oversees the Aadhaar system.

In a move to further secure its examination processes, the UPSC announced in June plans to introduce facial recognition and AI-based CCTV surveillance to prevent cheating and impersonation. The commission invited bids for two key technological solutions: Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication combined with facial recognition, and live AI-based CCTV monitoring during exams.

These advanced measures are expected to strengthen the UPSC's examination procedures, which see participation from thousands of candidates across the country each year. By incorporating these identity verification and monitoring technologies, the commission aims to maintain the highest standards of fairness and transparency.

This development comes in the wake of recent actions taken by the UPSC against probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, whose provisional candidature was cancelled after she was found to have fraudulently availed herself of additional attempts in the civil services examination. Khedkar was accused of manipulating her identity and misusing quotas, including the Other Backward Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer category. As a result, she was permanently barred from all future UPSC exams and recruitment processes.

The decision to adopt Aadhaar-based authentication is likely a response to such incidents, aiming to prevent identity fraud and ensure that only eligible candidates participate in the examinations.

The UPSC conducts 14 major exams annually, including prestigious ones for posts in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS), as well as various recruitment tests for Group 'A' and Group 'B' positions. The commission has been actively exploring advanced technologies to uphold the integrity of its processes.