Ministry of Finance Permits Voluntary Aadhaar Authentication for IBPS Candidates in Examinations and Recruitment Processes
The changes have been poised to greatly reduce malpractices, misrepresentation and impersonation during
The Ministry of Finance has brought forth a revised policy decision, authorizing the use of voluntary Aadhaar authentication for candidates appearing in examinations and recruitment processes conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). The assent was promulgated through a Gazette Notification by the Department of Financial Services, which enables IBPS to...
The Ministry of Finance has brought forth a revised policy decision, authorizing the use of voluntary Aadhaar authentication for candidates appearing in examinations and recruitment processes conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).
The assent was promulgated through a Gazette Notification by the Department of Financial Services, which enables IBPS to carry out Aadhaar-based authentication for verifying the identity of applicants, marking yet another feature for which the Aadhar functionality is employed.
The IBPS is a designated 'Public Examination Authority' under Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024' and the empowering notification was published under Rule 5 of the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Rules, 2020, read with the relevant provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
The need for such a feature was proposed following the recognition of the increasing scale and complexity of recruitment processes conducted by IBPS - the body responsible for conducting examinations and selection processes for a host of public sector banks and related financial institutions under the Ministry of Finance.
The notification authorizes IBPS to conduct Aadhaar authentication, either in the form of a simple Yes/No verification or through e-KYC processes.
The Government seeks to minimize impersonation and other malpractices that have occasionally surfaced during recruitment drives and examinations.
Recently, the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) also announced the implementation of optional Aadhaar authentication at various critical stages of its recruitment examinations, including registration, exam attendance, and document verification.
The SSC clarified that Aadhaar details will be used solely for real-time authentication in accordance with UIDAI’s prescribed standards and will not be stored locally, thereby addressing privacy concerns.
Those opting out of Aadhar verification were permitted to use alternative identity documents such as PAN, Passport, or Voter ID.
This policy reflects a growing trend among major recruitment bodies to offer Aadhaar-based identity verification as a means to enhance fairness, prevent impersonation, and improve convenience for genuine candidates, while preserving voluntary participation and data security.
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