In the age of artificial intelligence (AI) where tech is aimed at making everyday tasks easier, its misuse has now emerged as a worrying cause during the Delhi University undergraduate admission process. So much so that the varsity had to recently issue a warning, upon detecting cases of aspirants uploading AI-generated or digitally manipulated documents, in an attempt to secure admission to their preferred choice of college.
“I know two friends who were actually bragging about uploading a fake certificate for their ECA applications. They even said they had bought a premium subscription to an AI tool because they believed it could create documents that wouldn’t get detected,” says Ashish, an aspirant from Sonipat, who believes that its the pressure to secure a seat in a reputed college, combined with the easy availability of AI tools, which has made the young overconfident to resort to such drastic steps.”
“Multiple such cases have been brought to the admission department’s notice from various colleges,” informs Haneet Gandhi, dean of admissions at DU, where officials are now working on an AI-enabled verification mechanism, to enable faster scrutiny of documents for a foolproof admission process. She adds, “What caught our attention was that several digital certificates carried QR codes, but when scanned they either led nowhere or revealed AI-generated or fabricated documents. The digital footprints simply did not match.”
“Any applicant found submitting forged or AI-generated documents will have their admission cancelled immediately. If required, legal action may also be initiated,” states Gandhi. Adding to this, DCP Vinit Kumar, IFSO (Special Cell), Delhi Police says, “Any individual who uses forged, fake AI generated documents and tries to pass it off as an authentic original document, be it in general or in this case, for their university admissions, can be booked under section 336 of the BNS.”
{{/usCountry}}“Any applicant found submitting forged or AI-generated documents will have their admission cancelled immediately. If required, legal action may also be initiated,” states Gandhi. Adding to this, DCP Vinit Kumar, IFSO (Special Cell), Delhi Police says, “Any individual who uses forged, fake AI generated documents and tries to pass it off as an authentic original document, be it in general or in this case, for their university admissions, can be booked under section 336 of the BNS.”
{{/usCountry}}The warning comes amid observation of admission volunteers and mentors, of having noticed a rise in aspirants considering AI as a shortcut to gamble their fate. Digvijay Sulekh, a recent DU graduate, who has been assisting aspirants with the admission process, says the rise in such incidents has led to him alter his approach in the counselling sessions he conducts. “Now, whenever we guide young aspirants, the very first thing we tell them is to not look for short cuts. We even ask them to show us the documents before they upload them so we can ensure everything is genuine,” shares Sulekh, in his attempt to ensure that his team doesn’t end up becoming part of an unethical application. He adds, “Forging documents is probably the most careless mistake a student can make. Delhi University has robust verification systems. It’s unrealistic to think manipulated documents won’t be caught.”
Checks in place
DU has a robust verification process to ensure all documents are valid and authentic. Tulika Kumari, AI expert and professor in computer science department at Miranda House, shares:
AI checks: Documents are uploaded to tools such as Deep AI and ChatGPT. Next, they are tested with Google AI to detect AI-generated content, if any
Physical checks: Some of the checks include distorted logos on certificates, anomalies in pictures on documents, or mistakes in dates of birth
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