Now, Aadhaar Card to be Linked with CAT, NEET and NET

The day is not far when Aadhaar, the 12-digit Unique identification number, will be linked to all major national level examinations. The Union Government is planning to link major entrance examinations like CAT, NEET and NET with the Aadhaar Card Number of the applicants. This decision is being taken as part of the as the govt’s effort to stop fake enrolments, which have become rampant these days. The government is trying to curb impersonation and malpractices with this pilot project.

The first step towards this decision was taken in November 2022, where the first examination for which Aadhaar was made mandatory was JEE-Mains.

Now all applicants who wish to apply for JEE- Mains must possess Aadhaar Card issued by UIDAI with valid particulars mentioned on it.

After JEE- Mains, the Union Government is planning to link Aadhaar with popular entrance examinations like Common Entrance Test (CAT), National Eligibility- cum- Entrance Test (NEET) and National Eligibility Test (NET). These examinations are conducted by different bodies but this rule will be followed by all. The linkage will take place starting next year, 2022.

How will this decision affect applicants?

Candidates will now have to enter their Aadhaar card number (or the 28-digit Aadhaar Registration number) along with their name, date of birth and gender while filling up the form. The information entered by the candidates will then be validated with the information mentioned on the Aadhaar card. In case the particulars do not match, the candidate will not be able to fill his/her application.

The attendance at the exam centre will be taken through a biometric system, where the candidates will have to submit their fingerprints, which will then be stored and matched with the one on the Aadhaar server.