Delhi Subordinate Service Selection Board (DSSSB) in December last year discovered a startling truth. 60 candidates, who qualified in selection examination for the post of teachers in Delhi, sent their touts to write the paper. The board found impersonation during the document verification a year after declaring the result. The investigation into the case revealed that each candidate paid 6 lakhs to 10 lakhs to get this done.[i]
In January this year, Uttar Pradesh government sacked 1,300 Jal Nigam employees for the faulty selection procedure during the previous government.[ii] In some cases, the exam board terminate the entire selection procedure and redo the entire selection process. This is a drain on the taxpayers!
Impersonation in examinations is a reality in India. Even after governments spent a huge amount of money to secure the examination process, people invent one or other crooked way to break into the examination hall. Many agencies are working to help these ‘MunnaBhais’, who lack knowledge or confidence to appear the test.
AI to lessen impersonation
Here comes the advent of new sophisticated technology to mitigate this issue. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now being used in various activities across sectors. Education sector can also implement AI for different functions including admission, attendance, examination and evaluation. The recruitment agencies can also tap the possibilities.
AI can be adopted from the form filling to final certificate verification. During form application filing itself, the board can collect the candidates’ biometric data, which can be matched with Aadhaar details to verify the personal details. With the AI, the system can also verify the facial features of the candidate from the photo they attached. This photo verification will be held before the exam and interview with a real-time photo clip at the center.
For this, the biometric should be made mandatory for the candidates to enter the center on the exam day. This can be mandated in the online exam too, in which the face recognition could be done by the webcam of the computer and match with the earlier photograph in the application form.
Additionally, the AI-enabled remote proctoring service can secure examination process from inappropriate behavior of candidates in the online examinations. The exam software, coupled with the remote proctoring solution developed in AI platform, can detect any misbehaving at the end of the candidate and flag it off to the authorities on time.
Since most of the government examination boards are embracing the online tests, and the unprecedented situation like COVID-19 crisis, the remote proctoring will enable a safe and secure test experience. Candidates can attempt the tests from any place, where he/she has the uninterrupted internet service and the authorities can remotely monitor the test. The board can enable remote proctoring for both small scale and mass exams. This would help the board to reduce the costs – of conducting these recruitment examinations, lodging and transportation of invigilators, logistics involved in the shipping the question papers and answer sheets, to name a few.
Solutions for post-Covid world
The outbreak of coronavirus disease across the globe has halted the examinations and recruitments for a while. Now, the world is searching for solutions to supplement the traditional testing and assessment methods, we are following for ages. The institutions are now gradually adopting the above-mentioned solutions.
India’s leading testing and assessment service provider, MeritTrac has developed advanced online exam platforms equipped with the AI-enabled remote proctoring solutions. This has been helping a wide range of testing boards, educational institutions and corporates across the country. As the demand is growing, these are becoming the backbone of the examinations in the coming days.
[i]https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/munna-bhais-of-delhi-62-candidates-paid-experts-in-lakhs-write-papers-1632439-2019-12-30
[ii]https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-government-sacks-1-300-jal-nigam-employees-report-2190054?amp=1&akamai-rum=off
