The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has successfully conducted a pilot programme to test AI-enabled facial authentication technology for swift and secure candidate verification during the NDA & NA II EXAMINATION, 2025 and CDS II EXAMINATION, 2025 recently held on 14 September 2025.

This initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), seeks to strengthen the integrity of the examination process and enhance the ease of entry for candidates at examination centres.

The pilot was carried out at select centres in Gurugram, where candidates’ facial images were digitally matched with the photographs submitted in their registration forms. The new system reduced verification time to an average of just 8–10 seconds per candidate, significantly streamlining the entry process while adding an extra layer of security.

Across the pilot locations, about 2,700 successful scans were completed for 1,129 candidates across different sessions. The successful trial marks an important step towards leveraging advanced technology for smarter, more secure and efficient examinations.

Dr. Ajay Kumar, Chairman, UPSC, said: “The Commission is committed to adopting cutting-edge technology to uphold the highest standards of fairness and transparency. This pilot with AI-based facial recognition is a significant step in our endeavour towards, smarter, secure and efficient exam process. While UPSC is committed, to modernise its practices, the utmost care has been given for safeguarding the integrity of our processes”.

Dr. Ajay Kumar also tweeted about the pilot project:

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NKR/PSM