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New Delhi: In the wake of the irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 examination, the government has decided to reinstate security checks in several institutions, including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), a prominent recruitment agency in the country. The move aims to strengthen the integrity of the examination process further.
After conducting a pilot program to test an artificial intelligence-enabled facial authentication technology for quick and secure candidate verification, the UPSC has announced "All candidates appearing in the UPSC examination will undergo face authentication at the venue."
With an aim to keep all the security leaks at bay, the UPSC has introduced facial authentication technology before appearing for the examination. The Commission has carried out a pilot programme to test AI-enabled facial authentication technology and secure candidate verification during two examinations - NDA (National Defence Academy) and NA (Naval Academy) II Examination, 2025 and CDS (Combined Defence Services) II Examination, 2025, held on September 14, 2025.
This pilot project was conducted with the assistance of the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) at select centres in Delhi-NCR. In which candidates were digitally matched with the photographs submitted at the time of registration. UPSC chairman Ajay Kumar said this new system will not only reduce 8-10 seconds of verification time per candidate but also add an extra layer of security.
After the NEET UG 2024 debacle and allegations of misconduct by trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, the Commission has decided to restore trust by introducing digital technology to its exam system. It has been granted permission to conduct Aadhaar-based authentication to verify the identity of candidates during the application process and at various stages of the examination. The move aimed at strengthening the UPSC's examination process by introducing Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication of candidates and facial recognition during the exam.
The UPSC's 2024 notice reads regarding the use of “Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication (else digital fingerprint capturing) & facial recognition of candidates and QR code scanning of e-admit cards” and “Live AI-based CCTV surveillance service.”
After the success of the pilot project, UPSC has made it mandatory to undergo face authentication at the venue. The UPSC conducts various recruitment examinations for government jobs, including the prestigious Civil Services Examination (CSE), National Defence Academy (NDA), Combined Defence Services (CDS), and others.
