In a first, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has been allowed to carry out Aadhaar-based authentication in order to verify the identity of candidates on a voluntary basis. Such a verification can be carried out at the time of registration and various stages of exams and recruitment.
This decision by the Central government comes at the heels of the last month’s cancellation of provisional candidature of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar after which she was debarred from future examinations. Khedkar had used fraudulent methods to avail her UPSC attempts beyond eligibility.
Khedkar has also been accused of misusing disability and Other Backward Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer quotas, among other allegations.
The personnel ministry issued a notification saying that the UPSC is now allowed to carry out Aadhaar-based authentication for identity verification on a voluntary basis.
The commission must comply with all provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, as well as the rules, regulations, and directives issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), according to the notification.
(With PTI inputs)