In a major development, the Centre has approved the use of Aadhaar-based verification by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to verify the identities of candidates on a voluntary basis. This facility would be provided both at the time of registration as well as at various stages of the examinations and recruitments. 

This decision comes after a high-profile controversy over probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar. In April, UPSC had canceled Khedkar’s provisional candidature and declared her ineligibility to take future examinations for allegations of fradulat attempts in the civil services examination beyond the permissible limit. 

Nevertheless, the storm that has unwrapped Khedkar before the court has only revealed that there is a need to impose even more stringent processes for identification. After all, hers is a case in the dock for misusing quota benefits meant for people with disability and Other Backward Classes status, along with adoption of identity fraud to avail extra attempts in the civil services examinations. All this has made UPSC now introduce Aadhaar authentication as a preventive measure. 

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions notified that Aadhaar-based authentication is henceforth permitted to be performed by UPSC on a voluntary basis. The process in question would be utilized in the verification of candidates’ identity while registering with ‘One Time Registration’ portal and at every subsequent stage of examinations and recruitment tests. The authentication will be done as per Yes/No or e-KYC services. 

The UPSC must ensure that all the provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 and laid down by the Unique Identification Authority of India . 

Its 12-digit number is called the Aadhaar number. It utilizes the UIDAI to see how such a number is aligned and checked based on its biometric and other information. 

The move to use the Aadhaar-based authentication is part of a larger initiative aimed at enhancing the integrity of the examination process. In July, following the allegations against Khedkar, the UPSC took a set of actions that included filing a case of forgery against her for misusing attempts by impersonation. Later, the Delhi Police initiated investigation into the matter. 

Khedkar was provisionally allotted to the IAS: 2023 batch, Maharashtra cadre and alleged to have misused her status and privileges during her training in Pune. The incident underlined stringent measures to thwart fraud and uphold the integrity and prestige of the examination system. 

The UPSC is also resorting to other advanced automated solutions as part of its verification procedures to counter impersonation and cheating. In June this year, it released plans for facial recognition and AI-based CCTV systems at its exams. UPSC floated a tender inviting bids from PSUs to develop two key solutions, namely, development of Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication and digital fingerprint capture and face recognition of candidates by QR code scanning of e-Admit cards. The second solution involves live AI-based CCTV surveillance of the examination processes in real time. 

The UPSC conducts 14 major examinations every year, including the prestigious civil services examination through which officers are selected for Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS). The commission also conducts a number of recruitment tests and interviews for Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ posts in the central government. 

In addition, UPSC has brought in a number of technological and systemic improvements to make the examination system fraud-free and transparent in selection. The Aadhaar-based authentication is also one step toward this, apart from its use in other administrative works. 

The above developments, in fact, indicate the UPSC firm commitment to ensuring that its examination process is not compromised on any account due to identification or examination fraud.