The decision was announced by Secretary of Higher Education Vineet Joshi at a media briefing on December 23. He said facial recognition technology would be deployed during the examination process, while live photographs would be captured at the application stage to ensure end-to-end verification of candidates’ identities.
“Facial recognition will be used live during the examination, and live photography will be introduced while submitting applications,” Joshi said. “This system will be implemented from January, starting with JEE (Main).”
Under the new mechanism, candidates’ identities will be verified at multiple stages using facial biometric authentication. The system works by analysing unique facial features such as the distance between the eyes and the shape of the nose to create a digital facial profile for each candidate. This profile will then be matched in real time with stored data using artificial intelligence tools.
Officials said live photographs will be captured through webcams or mobile devices during the application process, while real-time facial verification will be conducted at examination centres. The multi-layered approach is expected to significantly reduce instances of proxy candidates and identity fraud, which have been a recurring concern in high-stakes competitive exams.
The National Testing Agency conducts several major entrance examinations, including JEE and NEET, involving millions of candidates each year. Security measures such as biometric fingerprint verification and CCTV surveillance are already in place at exam centres. The addition of facial recognition is intended to further tighten safeguards and improve the credibility of the testing process.
The JEE (Main) 2026 examination is scheduled to be held from January 21 to January 30, 2026. NTA officials said detailed guidelines on the implementation of facial biometric verification will be issued to candidates and examination centres ahead of the test.
Education authorities said the initiative reflects a broader push to use technology to ensure transparency, fairness, and integrity in national-level entrance examinations.
