UIDAI’s Face Authentication Test for NEET Raises Privacy Concerns

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has “sucessfully conducted” face authentication test during the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) 2025 in Delhi, according to the electronics and IT ministry (MeitY). 

The initiative, in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the National Testing Agency (NTA), aims to enhance “exam security and candidate verification processes using advanced biometric technology”. 

The UIDAI has also claimed that the tests were conducted to evaluate the “feasibility and effectiveness” of the candidates’ identities, as the NTA faced severe criticisms due to the NEET UG 2024 paper leak controversy in 2024. 

MeitY reported that face authentication was conducted in real time using Aadhaar's biometric database, which streamlined the process and made it contactless. It also said that the test results demonstrated high accuracy and efficiency in verifying candidates. However, the metrics to decide the level of accuracy were not disclosed. 

While the government said the initiative puts forth Aadhaar face authentication as “secure, scalable and student-friendly” to identify candidates in large-scale examinations, it does not mention the potential privacy risks to these students. 

Though not confirmed to be deployed in the future for identification purposes, this initiative is limited to students under the age of 18 for facial recognition technology. There is no mention of obtaining consent to test for identity verification, which raises many concerns about the citizens of India’s right to privacy. 

Aadhaar Face Authentication technology was implemented at chosen NEET centres in Delhi and smoothly integrated with NIC’s digital framework and NTA’s examination protocols.

However, the government highlighted potential future use cases and reiterated its role in preventing impersonation attempts during competitive exams like NEET.

Similarly, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has transitioned from fingerprint-based biometric systems to face-based systems in all medical colleges and institutions, effective May 1.

The NMC implemented a system for marking attendance using features like facial recognition. Faculty members will utilise a mobile app-based interface to record attendance. This system will be integrated through the NMC Aadhaar-Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) platform, leveraging the existing Aadhaar authentication system. Medical colleges must provide GPS coordinates for designated attendance zones within a 100-metre radius, facilitating geofenced attendance marking.

These systems fundamentally violate people’s right to privacy, as there are no regulations to supervise the use or decide the consequences of the potential data breaches.