Biometrics to end impersonation in exams

BANGALORE: A private company has made a device, which, it claims, can curb the practice of impersonation during examinations.

MeritTrac Services launched a biometric authentication device, AuthenTrac, here on Tuesday.

All the candidates' photographs are uploaded in a central system. The system then transfers the information to wireless biometric devices. These devices are dispatched to the exam centres. The invigilators take the device to the exam hall. They enter the candidate's ID into it and take the candidate's photograph from it. The device then matches the photo in the registration form with that taken in the exam hall.

The device takes candidates's biometric fingerprints too for attendance.

After the exam, the biometrics information from AuthenTrac, would be uploaded to the central software. Candidates' fingerprints would be verified at the time of counselling too. This leaves no scope for impersonation.

It can be passed around twice in each exam and can store details of up to 10,000 candidates.

Madan Padaki, cofounder and CEO of MeritTrac Services, said they had signed an agreement with one institute for their examination that would be held in November. He said they were expecting to get around 20 customers by the year end.

He informed that availing the service would cost around `3045 for each candidate.

He said individuals would be trained to use the central software and the device. He added that only trained would be sent to the test centres to operate it.

Padaki informed that they had invested around `1.5 crore on the device and were looking to get patent for it. He added that they would invest `3.5 crore more on AuthenTrac.

The issue of impersonation was in news this summer after 14 were held impersonating during COMEDK exams in May.