After Pooja Khedkar Controversy, 92% UPSC Aspirants Choose Aadhaar Authentication

06 Jun After Pooja Khedkar Controversy, 92% UPSC Aspirants Choose Aadhaar Authentication

After Pooja Khedkar Controversy, 92% UPSC Aspirants Choose Aadhaar Authentication: A New Era of Transparency and Efficiency in Civil Services Recruitment. Considered by far the most prestigious establishment in India that handles civil services recruitment, the Union Public Service Commission recently took a big leap toward erecting transparency, simplifying the application procedure, while also increasing the bona fides of selection processes. This is in the aftermath of the highly publicised Pooja Khedkar controversy that sparked countrywide debates on fairness, loopholes in verification, and misuse of provisions in the UPSC recruitment arena.
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The Pooja Khedkar Controversy

When identity and eligibility documentation irregularities surfaced for the Pooja Khedkar case, public distrust of the system ensued; some candidates could exploit certain lacunae existing in the system of verification. Newspapers across the country made this case a big scandal, with increasing demands by the press and reputed personalities for an impeccable, concern-proof, and tamper-proof verification system.
Hence, UPSC has taken a revolutionary step in inaugurating the Aadhaar-based authentication in its application system — the first in its operational history.

New UPSC Portal 

On 28th May 2025, UPSC officially launched the new online application portal, with the most striking catch being the use of Aadhaar-based authentication, an optional yet highly recommended step in the registration process presently.
The intention behind this stage is to provide identity verification through India’s largest biometric-based digital identity system – Aadhaar. The initiative makes recruitment processes coming days transparent, secure, and easy for millions of aspiring candidates across India. Massive response: Aspirants welcome the change. Within just a week of the inauguration of the new portal, assessments from aspiring UPSC candidates have been overwhelmingly favourable.
According to the statistical data obtained from UPSC:

• More than 2.65 lakh aspirants created accounts on the new portal.
• Out of these, 1.13 lakh candidates performed the Universal Registration.
• Importantly, 1.05 lakh candidates chose to go for Aadhaar authentication, a whopping 92% of the total candidates verified.

This huge response indicates a waxing confidence among aspirants over the Aadhaar system and would-be-assisted attempts at bringing in a level of ease and transparency in the examination system.

How Does the New UPSC Portal Work?

The new UPSC portal makes the application process simpler with only four essential steps:

1. Create Account: Candidates make a user ID on the UPSC portal by giving some basic details.
2. Universal Registration: This stores the data of candidates centrally that may be reused as and when any application is filed in the future.
3. Common Application Form (CAF): Candidates fill in a common application form to be valid for use in many UPSC exams.
4. Exam-specific Application: As the final step, candidates fill in examination-specific applications for exams such as the Civil Services, CDS, NDA, etc.

This way, the entire process does away with filing the same details over and over again, eliminating any possibility of errors creeping in through clerical oversight or misrepresentation.

Why Aadhaar Authentication is Important 

The beginning and maintenance of the system rest with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which uses biometric and demographic data to forge a unique digital identity for each and every resident Indian citizen. Embedding an additional layer of Aadhaar verification into the UPSC process may present several benefits:

• Seamless Identity Verification: Aadhaar authentication supported by a biometric identity makes the forgery of an identity or impersonation nearly impossible.
• Faster Application Processing: With verified identity, back-end verification becomes quick, and there is a faster processing of applications by the UPSC.
• Single Identity Across Exams: Now, the aspirants can hold a single profile for all the exams, minimising the possibilities of data mismatch or duplication.
• Increases Public Trust: The aspirants and the general public would further be confident that the recruitment in question is free and fair, based on merit.

A Transparent and Accountable System

Speaking on the recently installed system, UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar said that the new portal ensures a smoother experience for candidates while also speeding up the identity verification process. He further stated that the Aadhaar authentication is voluntary, yet the Commission strongly recommends that aspirants opt for it as it leads to a much quicker and secure validation.

Optional Yet Strategic Step 

Although Aadhaar authentication is presently optional, it is obvious that it strategically benefits the aspirants to a huge extent. Here are the reasons why it is recommended:

• Priority Verification: Applications linked to Aadhaar are processed faster due to automatic identity validation.
• Less paperwork: The red tape caused by checking of original documents is minimised.
• Exam Day Benefits: With Aadhaar credentials verified, identity verification procedures at exam centres tend to be much simpler and less time-consuming.
• For the Future: Verified credentials can be used for future examination and recruitment cycles.

Is the Aadhaar system Safe?

The Aadhaar infrastructure uses multilayer encryption, biometric authentication (fingerprint and iris scan), and secure OTP-based login mechanisms. Also, the data is kept under the Aadhaar Act and the privacy measures adopted by the Government of India. Furthermore, the use of Aadhaar by UPSC is solely for identity establishment and does not have any candidature for any eligibility screening or profiling. Candidates who do not wish to use Aadhaar may use any other recognised identity document for the same purpose. Still, more than 92% chose Aadhaar, and this could be indicative of the trust it holds.
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Conclusion

The introduction of Aadhar authentication in the UPSC portal has set an unprecedented milestone toward the modernisation and streamlining of civil services recruitment in India. After controversies like that of the Pooja Khedkar case, this kind of move restores public trust, empowers genuine aspirants, and builds a merit-oriented system. With 92% of aspirants voluntarily opting for Aadhaar authentication, it clearly shows that the UPSC community is receptive to change, provided the change brings in fairness, efficiency, and security.