EPFO SSA 2023: NTA nabs three for impersonating candidates; agency used AI tools

NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency team (NTA) today said it has nabbed one person each at Noida, Kolkata and Roorkee who had come to appear for the EPFO Social Security Assistant Examination in lieu of the registered candidates.

The impersonator was caught during the facial recognition process. The accused was held at the examination centre at Sector 62, Noida. Following the facial recognition process, which has been mandatory, Aadhaar authentication process was initiated.

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The accused “admitted to the wrong doing”, following which he was handed over to the police, the NTA said. Similar cases also surfaced in Kolkata and Roorkee.

Social Security Assistant Recruitment Examination for the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is being conducted by NTA on August 18, 21, 22 and 23.

The NTA said it has deployed several control mechanisms to check impersonation. “NTA is using artificial intelligence checks before the exam and during the exam to check malpractices and impersonation during the EPFO Social Security Assistant Examination,” It said.

The NTA checks images of candidates during the registration process using different tools. The candidates whose images don’t meet the standards are validated on the day of the exam at the centre by biometric and facial recognition teams and NTA observers.

It has also made collection of fingerprints mandatory at the centres for all candidates appearing for the exam. The NTA also collects the photograph of the candidate to match it with the database in suspect cases. “The system deployed relies on the state-of-the-art AI technology, iFace, which can ascertain the identity of the candidate through cross verifying the photo on the exam admit card with the live photograph of the candidate that is taken at the exam centre,” the NTA said.