Indian authorities are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence tools to monitor exams and even comb social media for signs of paper leaks, solver gangs, and coordinated cheating networks, as competitive test scandals and AI‑enabled fraud surge across the country.[1][2]
Background: Rising Exam Cheating Crisis
In recent years, multiple high‑stakes recruitment and entrance exams in India have been marred by allegations of leaks, impersonation, and organised “solver gangs,” undermining public trust in the system.[1][3]
States such as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, as well as national bodies like the UPSC and NTA, have reported repeated instances of sophisticated cheating involving forged IDs, tech‑enabled coordination, and cross‑state criminal networks.[1][4]
AI Tools Enter the Exam Security Toolkit
To counter this, authorities are deploying AI systems that combine facial recognition, behavioural analytics, and big‑data monitoring to spot irregularities before, during, and after exams.[1][5]
These tools scan CCTV footage, candidate databases, and sometimes social media chatter to flag suspicious patterns such as impersonation, mass copying, unusual crowds near centres, and viral rumours about alleged leaks.[5][2]
Social Media Monitoring And Rumour Control
For major state‑level recruitment tests like the Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer (RO/ARO) exam in Uttar Pradesh, the government has announced dedicated social media monitoring cells to track posts, forwards, and groups that might hint at paper leaks or organised malpractice.[2][6]
Officials say these cells, backed by AI‑supported analytics, are tasked with swiftly identifying suspicious trends, coordinating with cybercrime units, and issuing clarifications to prevent panic or misinformation from spiralling online.[2][6]
Facial Recognition To Catch Impersonators
One of the most visible uses of AI has been advanced facial‑recognition systems that compare candidates’ live images with their registration photographs and Aadhaar‑linked data.[5][3]
In Uttar Pradesh, such software has already helped police and exam bodies identify dozens of suspected impersonators, leading to the arrest of at least 87 candidates in a government recruitment exam, officials have said.[7][3]
UPSC And National Adoption Of AI Surveillance
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has proposed rolling out AI‑based CCTV surveillance and facial recognition to safeguard its highly competitive civil services examinations.[8][9]
The system is intended to raise “red flags” whenever it detects unusual movements, absence of invigilators, or behaviour that might indicate cheating, with recordings stored for forensic review in case of disputes.[8][1]
State Initiatives: Haryana, Universities, And NTA
Stung by repeated cheating cases, Haryana has announced AI‑enabled monitoring for the Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test, integrating facial recognition and analytics with on‑ground frisking and jammers.[4][5]
Universities in South India and testing agencies working with the National Testing Agency (NTA) are also deploying AI‑driven secure exam portals, blending live video proctoring, anomaly detection, and tamper‑proof logging of candidate behaviour.[10][11]
#Cracking AI‑Enabled Solver Gangs
At the same time, law‑enforcement agencies are confronting criminals who themselves use AI tools to cheat the system, such as generating synthetic photos for impersonators or using bots and chatbots to solve questions.[12][13]
In a recent case linked to the IBPS Clerk Exam 2025, Lucknow Police busted an inter‑state racket that used apps like Remini AI and Fotor to merge faces of real candidates and proxies, creating admit‑card photos with roughly 70 percent resemblance to both.[12][13]
Legal Crackdown And New Exam Laws
India’s updated Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) framework and associated state‑level measures now criminalise organised cheating, including AI‑assisted fraud, with provisions for jail terms and heavy fines.[12][14]
New norms around online exams in 2025 mandate AI‑detection software, keystroke analysis, and real‑time proctoring, while also penalising institutions or coaching centres that promote AI‑based cheating services.[14][15]
How AI Proctoring Systems Work
Modern AI proctoring platforms track candidates through webcams and microphones, using machine‑learning models trained on large datasets to establish normal behaviour and flag anomalies.[16][15]
These systems can detect patterns such as frequent eye movements away from the screen, unusual typing rhythms, background voices, or attempts to use other devices, escalating cases to human proctors for final judgment.[16][15]
Balancing Security With Privacy And Fairness
Experts note that while AI offers powerful tools against mass cheating, it also raises questions about surveillance, data storage, and the risk of false positives that could wrongly implicate candidates.[17][15]
Testing agencies and universities are under pressure to adopt transparent guidelines, obtain informed consent, and ensure that AI flags are always reviewed by humans before punitive action is taken.[17][16]
Broader Implications For India’s Education System
The rapid fusion of AI, policing, and exam administration reflects both the scale of the competitive exam ecosystem and the high stakes for millions of aspirants.[1][10]
As India ramps up digital invigilation and social‑media intelligence, policymakers argue that restoring confidence in public examinations is essential for merit‑based recruitment, even as civil‑liberties advocates call for strong safeguards around how these AI systems are designed and deployed.[2][9]
Citations:
[1] Amid NEET, NET exam mess, UPSC moots AI-based ... https://economictimes.com/jobs/exams-results/amid-neet-net-exam-mess-upsc-moots-ai-based-cctv-surveillance-to-prevent-cheating/articleshow/111230442.cms
[2] UP govt to use AI, social media monitoring, implement strict ... https://economictimes.com/news/india/up-govt-to-use-ai-social-media-monitoring-implement-strict-security-for-ro/aro-exam/articleshow/122798520.cms
[3] AI helps state police nab 87 'solvers' using unfair means ... https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/ai-helps-state-police-nab-87-solvers-using-unfair-means-during-govt-job-exam/articleshow/101371269.cms
[4] Stung by repeated cheating cases, Haryana introduces AI ... https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/stung-by-repeated-cheating-cases-haryana-introduces-ai-to-monitor-haryana-teacher-eligibility-test/articleshow/121960786.cms
[5] Govt institutions tap AI to fight exam cheating https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/body-cameras-facial-recognition-analytics-govt-institutions-tap-ai-to-fight-exam-cheating-11670221.html
[6] RO/ARO 2025: From AI to social media monitoring, UP ... https://indianexpress.com/article/education/ro-aro-2025-from-ai-to-social-media-monitoring-up-govts-strict-security-for-exam-10139239/
[7] UP Officials Use Artificial Intelligence To Bust Job Exam ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6AIccRP_TY
[8] UPSC to Introduce Facial Recognition, AI Surveillance ... https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/upsc-to-introduce-facial-recognition-ai-surveillance-to-safeguard-exam-integrity/articleshow/111248245.cms
[9] UPSC set to use AI-based surveillance, facial recognition ... https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/upsc-adopts-ai-based-surveillance-facial-recognition-exam-cheating-2557782-2024-06-25
[10] How AI is being deployed to safeguard integrity in ... https://www.educationtimes.com/article/campus-beat-college-life/99735444/how-ai-is-being-deployed-to-safeguard-integrity-in-competitive-exams
[11] Secure Exam Portals: How Universities in South India Are ... https://merittrac.com/blogs/secure-exam-portals-south-india-ai-cheating-prevention/
[12] IBPS Clerk exam 2025 cheating racket: AI-powered solver ... https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/ibps-clerk-exam-2025-cheating-racket-ai-powered-solver-gang-busted-2799581-2025-10-08
[13] AI Powered An Inter-state Exam Cheating Syndicate In India https://www.boomlive.in/decode/ai-powered-an-inter-state-exam-cheating-syndicate-in-india-29746
[14] Govt Cracks Down on AI Cheating in Online Exams – 2025 Law ... https://exammedia.in/online-exam-ai-cheating-rules-2025/
[15] Cheating in Online Exams: How AI and Technology Are Fighting Back https://merittrac.com/blogs/cheating-in-online-exams-a-growing-threat-and-how-technology-is-fighting-back/
[16] How to Prevent Cheating in Online Exams: 15 Proven Methods https://www.eklavvya.com/blog/prevent-cheating-online-exams/
[17] Online exam cheating detection and blockchain trusted deposit ... https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-18412-0
[18] Police bust AI tool-powered exam cheating racket in Lucknow https://inshorts.com/en/news/police-bust-ai-tool-powered-exam-cheating-racket-in-lucknow-1760613520552
[19] Top 15 AI Proctoring Tools in 2025 - WeCP https://www.wecreateproblems.com/blog/ai-proctoring-tools
[20] AI Startup That Lets Users Cheat In Exams And Interviews ... https://www.ndtv.com/feature/ai-startup-that-lets-users-cheat-in-exams-and-interviews-raises-5-3-million-8232657
