UPSC Chairman Declares Zero-Tolerance Policy Against Examination Fraud and Fake Certificates

UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar has implemented Aadhaar integration to prevent impersonation in government examinations.

New Delhi:

On Wednesday, UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar firmly declared that cheating and submitting fake certificates in government recruitment examinations is "unacceptable" and warned candidates about potential long-term damage to their careers.

During a groundbreaking virtual town hall, Kumar advised candidates against "going that path," emphasizing that such actions could result in severe consequences, including a three-year debarment from all examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

"For UPSC, cheating is not at all acceptable. We have a zero-tolerance policy on this. And if anything like this happens, we take, and we will take strict action," Kumar stated emphatically.

"We do not want children to start their careers to serve the country through cheating. I request everyone not to even look towards cheating because it can cause long-term career damage to you. Hence, please avoid going that path," he advised.

Throughout the hour-long session, the UPSC chief addressed various topics, including the necessity of coaching centers for civil services examination preparation and the case of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar who used fraudulent certificates.

Last year, the Centre discharged Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service for wrongfully claiming Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability reservations to secure her selection.

Kumar emphasized that any form of dishonesty, "whether you get caught cheating in an exam or you fake anything or provide a certificate or manipulate your date of birth... the strictest action will be taken under the rules and regulations."

He explained that the Commission suspends such candidates for a minimum of three years, prohibiting them from participating in any UPSC examinations.

"If cheating occurs, a criminal FIR is filed and criminal action is taken against the perpetrator. And, you see, that action is being taken against Puja Khedkar. So, first of all, I would like to say that if anyone does such a thing, strictest action will be taken against them as per rules," the UPSC chairman affirmed.

Kumar highlighted that the UPSC has integrated Aadhaar in the application process to prevent impersonation.

"We have implemented face authorization at the entry of the examination centre," Kumar noted, adding that the Commission plans to start accepting candidates' certificates through DigiLocker to ensure their authenticity.

The chairman also thoroughly discussed whether coaching is necessary for preparation for recruitment examinations.

"This coaching issue is a huge issue. First of all, I would like to say that coaching is not mandatory for success in UPSC (exams).

"Its syllabus is such that if you study on your own, then you can clear UPSC (exams). Coaching is not an issue related only to the UPSC. We are seeing it happening in all the competitions, in JEE, NEET etc. This is a larger issue for us because it shows a deficiency in our education system," Kumar explained.

He mentioned that the National Education Policy has attempted to address this issue, noting that "work has already begun on it, and I think much more work needs to be done."

Referring to his own experience of succeeding without coaching, Kumar pointed out that numerous candidates pass UPSC exams each year without attending coaching centers.

"Take their example. So, coaching isn't necessary. I believe," he stated.

Kumar, who retired from the Indian Administrative Service after over three decades of service, reiterated, "There's no need for any coaching."

"I believe self-study is the best study. I've always believed in that," he added.

The chairman confirmed there are no plans to alter the cut-off date for age eligibility or to change the number of attempts permitted for various recruitment examinations.

"There are many views about the number of attempts. Some say it should be increased. Some say it should be reduced... We don't have any proposal in front of us, nor do we have any such thoughts," he clarified.

Regarding the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) paper, which forms part of the civil services preliminary exam, Kumar clarified that it is merely a qualifying paper with no impact on merit ranking.

"So the marks you get in this are just to qualify, and how many marks are needed to qualify? The only requirement is a 33% score," the UPSC chief explained.

Kumar used Mumbai's 'Dabbawalas' as an analogy to illustrate the Commission's meticulous operations.

He noted that candidates from nearly every district apply for the civil services examination.

More than 12 lakh candidates apply for the examination, which is administered in 23 languages (22 constitutional languages plus English) and offers 48 optional subjects.

"There are over 2,500 centres across the country, and each candidate has assigned their option. Getting the question paper of the subject of their choice... is a complex maze.

"In comparison, I would say (it is like) the Dabbawalas of Mumbai, as you might have heard, where each person gets their own tiffin. They don't get somebody else's. Similarly, every one of our students gets his or her own paper (as opted by him/her). Despite all this diversity," Kumar elaborated.

He also revealed "a UPSC secret" – most engineering graduates who qualify for civil services are selecting humanities subjects for their optional papers.

The majority of successful engineers are choosing non-engineering subjects, he explained, addressing concerns that the civil services examination favors candidates with engineering backgrounds.