NTA to roll out facial recognition, live photo verification for NEET from 2026: Report
New Delhi: In a major move, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is planning to introduce facial recognition-based identity verification and mandatory live photograph capture for candidates appearing in national entrance examinations starting from 2026, including NEET.
This new system will be implemented in all major tests conducted by the NTA, including the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Main) and the National Eligibility and Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG). According to officials, it will be introduced starting with JEE (Main) in January 2026.
The objective of introducing this system is to ensure real-time identity verification at various stages of the examination process and to prevent impersonation and other malpractices during the exams. Under the new framework, candidates will need to upload two photos at the application stage: one recent scanned photograph in JPG or JPEG format and another live photo taken with a webcam or mobile phone while filling out the form.
According to an NDTV media news report, this decision was made after a successful proof-of-concept during NEET-UG 2025, where Aadhaar-based facial authentication was tested at select examination centers in Delhi. This pilot project was conducted in collaboration with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and integrated with a digital system developed by the National Informatics Centre, alongside NTA's existing examination protocols.
Meanwhile, a few months back, Medical Dialogues had reported that several reports been widely circulated claiming that students appearing for national-level entrance exams, including the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), will no longer be allowed to choose their exam city. However, there had been no official confirmation from the National Testing Agency (NTA) or the Ministry of Education regarding the change in exam policy.
The reports regarding the removal of exam city selection came after the NTA activated the demo link for JEE Main 2026 registration. They claimed that this decision was taken to ensure greater transparency in the entrance exam and prevent cheating and malpractice.
