UPSC Proposes AI Based CCTV Surveillance to Curb Cheating Amid NEET, NET Controversies

Amid ongoing controversies surrounding alleged irregularities in NEET UG 2024 and UGC NET 2024 exams, India's premier recruitment body, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), has announced plans to implement advanced surveillance technologies to ensure the integrity of its examination process. These measures include facial recognition and AI-based CCTV systems aimed at preventing cheating and impersonation during its various tests, as per a PTI report.

The UPSC has floated a tender inviting bids from experienced public sector undertakings to develop two technological solutions: "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" to be utilised during examinations.

As a Constitutional body, the UPSC conducts 14 major exams annually, including the prestigious Civil Services Examination, which selects officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS), among other Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ central government posts. An estimated 26 lakh candidates are expected to participate in these recruitment exams held across 80 centres in cities including Leh, Kargil, Srinagar, Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl, and Gangtok.

"The UPSC attaches great importance to the conduct of its examinations in a free, fair and impartial manner. In its endeavor to fulfill these objectives, the Commission intends to make use of the latest digital technology to match and cross-check the biometric details of the candidates and to monitor various activities of the candidates during the examination to prevent cheating, fraud, unfair means and impersonation," states the tender document dated June 3, 2024.

The Commission aims to incorporate Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication (or digital fingerprint capturing) and facial recognition of candidates, QR code scanning of e-admit cards, and live AI-based CCTV video surveillance. This initiative is intended to strengthen the examination process and eliminate the possibility of candidate malpractices, as reported by the PTI.

The chosen service provider will utilise data provided by the UPSC for Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication and facial recognition during exams, according to the tender document. "Provision should be made for a real-time attendance monitoring system through secured web server. System should have provision for real time monitoring of the enrolment activity along with GPS coordinates against every enrolment and time stamp to ensure that enrolment is done during the stipulated shift," the document outlines.

Facial recognition should occur as a completely stateless transaction between two images: one from online registration and another captured on the exam day. The UPSC has also mandated CCTV/ video surveillance with recording and live broadcast systems to monitor candidate activities and personnel involved in conducting exams at various centres across the country securely.

"The service provider has to install adequate number of CCTV colour cameras in every classroom (minimum 1 CCTV camera for 24 candidates), entry/exit gate and control room (where pre-examination sensitive material will be kept and opened and post-examination sensitive material will be packed) of every examination venue," the tender specifies.

For examination halls or rooms with more than 24 candidates, one CCTV camera per 24 candidates is required, ensuring no blind spots. The AI-based system should generate alerts for any detected movement at entry/ exit gates during exams, improper classroom furniture arrangement, offline or tampered cameras, movement within classrooms an hour before or after exams, and invigilator inactivity.

The bid document submission deadline is July 7 at 1PM, with bid openings scheduled for 1.30PM on the same day.

This development by the UPSC is significant as the central government faces scrutiny over alleged irregularities in the UGC NET (University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test) 2024 and NEET UG (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate) 2024 exams, both currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).