Aadhaar can be used by the UPSC for registration, examination, and recruiting procedures.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has been given permission by the Center to employ Aadhaar-based verification to confirm candidates’ identities during registration and during several phases of the recruiting and examination process. Announced on August 28, the new measure will be optional.
The decision comes in the wake of the UPSC’s recent action against Puja Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer, whose provisional candidature was cancelled for allegedly abusing the disability and OBC (non-creamy layer) quotas by falsifying documents and exceeding the number of attempts permitted in the civil services examination.
The personnel ministry has announced that the UPSC can verify identification using Aadhaar authentication during the recruitment and examination processes as well as through the “One Time Registration” site. The commission is required to abide by the Unique Identification Authority of India’s (UIDAI) regulations as well as the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
In addition, Khedkar faces a forgery case from the UPSC, as it is claimed that she fabricated her identity to get more chances to pass the civil services exam. An investigation is underway concerning Khedkar, who has contested her disqualification and denied any wrongdoing.
Khedkar has been given a temporary reprieve from arrest until the high court hears the matter on August 29.
In an effort to stop cheating and impersonation, the UPSC also intends to use AI-based CCTV surveillance and facial recognition. Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication, digital fingerprint capture, facial recognition, QR code scanning of e-admit cards, and real-time AI-powered CCTV surveillance are among the technological solutions for which the commission has released a tender.
In order to choose officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and other associated services, the UPSC administers 14 major exams a year, one of which is the civil services examination. Numerous thousands of applicants take these tests nationwide each year.
