After Puja Khedkar row, 92% UPSC applicants voluntarily opt for Aadhaar authentication on new exam portal

As of Wednesday, the UPSC said 2.65 lakh accounts had been created on the new platform. Of these, 1.13 lakh users completed the universal registration, and 1.05 lakh of them chose Aadhaar authentication. About 60,000 had filled the common application form, while 55,000 forms were still under process.

“We are continuously improving the features and user-friendliness of the portal. The focus is on eliminating duplication—candidates won’t have to enter their information multiple times. Once submitted, it can be reused for various exams, improving their convenience,” UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar told The Indian Express.

This is the first time the UPSC is implementing biometric-based authentication for its exams. Though Aadhaar had been accepted as one of several ID documents earlier, the Commission did not previously carry out biometric authentication. That changed in August last year, when the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) authorised the UPSC to conduct Aadhaar authentication—on a voluntary basis—for verifying candidates’ identity.

The DoPT notification, issued on August 28, 2024, allowed the UPSC to use Aadhaar verification at the registration stage and during various phases of the examination and recruitment process, using either Yes/No or e-KYC authentication.

The decision followed the high-profile case of Puja Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer who allegedly appeared for the 2022 Civil Services Examination despite exceeding the maximum number of allowed attempts. The UPSC later cancelled her candidature, citing discrepancies in her application, including changes to her name and her parents’ names across attempts. The DoPT subsequently dismissed her from service. Khedkar has denied the allegations and challenged the decisions in court.

The new portal covers 14 major UPSC exams, including the Civil Services Examination, Combined Defence Services Examination, and the National Defence Academy Examination.

While Aadhaar authentication is voluntary, officials said the UPSC is encouraging candidates to opt for it, as it speeds up verification. Those choosing other forms of ID may face delays in the authentication process.

In a statement on May 28, the UPSC had said: “Applicants are strongly advised to use their Aadhaar Card as ID document in the Universal Application for easy, effortless and seamless verification and authentication of ID and other details, after which it serves as a permanent and common record for all examinations.”