Guwahati: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will introduce Aadhaar-based biometric authentication and AI-powered surveillance at its examination centres starting June 2025.
However, these new measures will not affect the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2025, which is set to take place as scheduled across 80 centres for around 9.5 lakh candidates. The changes will be gradually rolled out for all future examinations.
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This decision comes in response to recent impersonation and malpractice cases such as the high-profile Puja Khedkar incident which have raised concerns over the credibility of the recruitment process.
In a bid to enhance transparency and restore public confidence, the UPSC is turning to advanced technological solutions.
Key Features of the New Security Measures:
Aadhaar-Based Verification: Candidates will go through fingerprint and facial recognition checks starting from registration up to the examination day.
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QR Code Admit Cards: On the day of the exam, e-admit cards containing QR codes will be scanned using handheld devices to confirm identity in real time.
AI Surveillance: All exam venues will be equipped with AI-enabled CCTV systems. Each classroom will have at least one camera per 24 candidates. The AI will monitor for anomalies like unauthorized movement, offline cameras, or inactive invigilators, and generate alerts accordingly.
The groundwork for these measures began last year when UPSC invited bids from public sector companies to implement the tech upgrades.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) later approved UPSC’s request to use Aadhaar authentication voluntarily for candidate verification during the recruitment process.