--- title: "Supreme Court to Hear Challenge on Facial Recognition Use Against NEET-UG Protesters" url: https://projectchintan.com/article/supreme-court-to-hear-facial-recognition-plea-neet-ug-protesters-n52ks publisher: Project Chintan author: Project Chintan Newsroom section: Politics published: 2026-08-13T07:30:31.492Z modified: 2026-08-13T10:00:07.875Z language: en-IN --- # Supreme Court to Hear Challenge on Facial Recognition Use Against NEET-UG Protesters India's Supreme Court will examine a Member of Parliament's petition questioning the use of facial recognition technology and mass surveillance against those protesting the NEET-UG exam. The court will consider whether these measures violate constitutional rights and data privacy laws. ## Key takeaways - India's Supreme Court will review a petition against the use of facial recognition technology on NEET-UG exam protesters. - The petition argues that surveillance measures, including biometric data collection, are unconstitutional and violate privacy laws. - The court will question the Centre and Delhi Police on the legal basis and implementation of these technologies during protests. - Concerns have been raised about data being hosted by private agencies without consent. The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear a petition filed by Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament A.A. Rahim, challenging the deployment of facial recognition technology and extensive surveillance measures against individuals involved in protests concerning the NEET-UG examination. The court will pose questions to the Centre and the Delhi Police Commissioner regarding these practices. A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, stated that Mr. Rahim’s petition will be combined with existing cases that question police actions against students and the use of pellet guns during the protests. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy informed the bench that surveillance data is being collected on the ground and hosted by private entities, raising concerns about privacy violations. ## What Happened The petition argues that the automated, algorithmic extraction and matching of biometric identifiers from thousands of peaceful protesters, and the linking of this data to national criminal databases, is unconstitutional. According to the petition, the Delhi Police have engaged in continuous and pervasive biometric surveillance of protesters, journalists, and citizens since July 20, when the sit-in began. This surveillance reportedly involved capturing video and photographic data through CCTV cameras, drones, a mobile command and control vehicle, and handheld devices. The real-time processing of this footage allegedly utilized facial recognition technology via the ‘Ikshana’ vehicle and ‘AjnaLens’ smart spectacles, along with fingerprint collection against the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System using the National Crime Records Bureau’s ‘Abhigyan’ mobile application. The MP contends that this surveillance occurred without legal authorization, as neither the Delhi Police's standing orders on protests nor the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022, permit such biometric surveillance during lawful assemblies. ## Key Facts - The Supreme Court agreed on Thursday, August 13, 2026, to hear a petition challenging the use of facial recognition technology against NEET-UG protesters. - The petition was moved by Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament A.A. Rahim. - The petition questions the deployment of facial recognition technology and mass surveillance measures against students and protesters related to the NEET-UG exam. - The court will confront the Centre and the Delhi Police Commissioner with questions regarding these technologies. - The petition claims data was collected without permission and hosted by private agencies, violating data protection rules. - Allegations include the automated extraction of biometric identifiers and linking them to national criminal databases. - Surveillance methods mentioned include CCTV, drones, mobile command vehicles, smart spectacles ('AjnaLens'), and fingerprint collection via the 'Abhigyan' mobile application. - The petition asserts that neither police standing orders nor the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022, authorize such biometric surveillance during lawful assemblies. - The protest sit-in commenced on July 20. ## Background The protests are linked to alleged paper leaks in the NEET-UG examination. The petition highlights concerns that the surveillance technology is being used against peaceful demonstrators. The use of facial recognition technology and the handling of collected data by private entities are central to the legal challenge, with allegations of violations under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). --- Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/supreme-court-to-hear-facial-recognition-plea-neet-ug-protesters-n52ks Reported from: Multiple Sources