Karnataka Examinations Authority floats tender for biometric and facial tech solutions; here’s what it may mean for students

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) -- which conducts various examinations, including recruitment tests for government departments and entrance exams (CET) for educational programs -- will deploy artificial intelligence (AI) to curb impersonation during exams. The AI-powered features include facial recognition and biometric verification technologies.
“We will be using AI technology to prevent impersonation for the recruitment examinations for three departments (Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) scheduled from July to September,” H Prasanna, executive director of KEA, told Moneycontrol.
According to the report, the KEA floated tenders inviting bids for “palm fingerprint biometrics and facial recognition of candidates on a real-time basis” and “frisking solution equipped with live monitoring and attendance management”.

As per the tender documents, palm fingerprint and facial recognition will be used to verify candidates' identities during examinations and the appointment process. The system will be able to cover around 18,000 candidates in the state.
To prevent impersonation in exams, KEA will share candidate data (roll numbers, photos, exam details) with a chosen company, which will use handheld devices to capture palm prints and perform facial recognition at exam entrances. The facial recognition tech will compare a candidate's photo from registration to one taken on exam day.
Additionally, security personnel will manually verify candidate photos against the KEA database at the entrances.
“Once the examination is over, we will share the data with the appointing authority so they can also check thumb impressions to ensure that the same person appeared for the examination,” Prasanna said.
According to officials an advanced frisking solution with live monitoring and attendance management will be implemented.
"Cameras will be set up the day before the examination, with dry runs conducted under KEA supervision, ensuring the camera's view remains fixed throughout the event," as per the tender document.
"Webcasted video feeds will be streamed live using 4G/3G facilities onto a portal, with links provided in advance and displayed on video monitors at KEA offices. The entire feed will be recorded and submitted to KEA on an external hard disk in unedited condition," the document added.