'Struggle is Real': Naga Man's Eyes Leave KYC Biometric Scanner Confused, Viral Video Sparks Debate

Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna Along shared a viral video of a Naga man's humorous struggle with a biometric eye scanner during a KYC process. The incident, where friends had to hold the man's eyes open, has sparked a wider online debate about the inclusivity of biometric technology for diverse ethnic features.

Nagaland’s Tourism and Higher Education Minister, Temjen Imna Along, has shared a hilarious yet relatable video capturing a local man's struggle to pass a biometric verification process due to scanner issues.

In a video posted by Temjen on X (formerly Twitter), a Naga man’s eyes can be seen being forced open by friends as a KYC biometric scanner repeatedly failed to recognise his features during the biometric verification process. Biometric scanners have become an essential part of the verification process for various government schemes, banking services, and official documentation across India.

Since the Know Your Customer (KYC) process requires precise authentication to prevent fraud and ensure seamless access to financial and governmental benefits, the Naga’s struggle to complete the biometric verification highlighted the difficulty of getting his features recognised by the scanner.

‘Struggle Is Real’

Nagaland minister Temjen Imna Along is often known for his humorous social media presence, and apparently decided to add his trademark clever spin to the post, captioning the video with a playful nod to the universal pain of everyday administrative hurdles.

In a video posted by a BJP leader, which later went viral on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), a Naga man was seen going through the frustrating yet comical ordeal of trying to get his biometric scan approved. A man, apparently an agent, was seen trying to capture the photo of his eyes, but failed to recognise the face properly.

This led to a hilarious intervention of two bystanders to help keep his eyelids wide open while the device finally managed to complete the scan. Along with the video, Temjen Imna Along captioned, ‘struggle is real’.

Struggle is Real... pic.twitter.com/1WuQprLWA3

— Temjen Imna Along (@AlongImna) August 12, 2026

Since Naga people’s eyes are often characterized by epicanthic folds, the biometric face recognition technology appeared to struggle to capture the man’s facial features accurately, turning the verification process into an amusing moment.

Though the man apparently managed to get his face captured, the viral incident sparked wider discussions online regarding the inclusivity and adaptability of standard biometric software for diverse ethnic populations across the country.

Viral Video Sparks Debate Over Biometric Tech’s Inclusivity

The viral video of a Naga man struggling to get his biometric verification completed has sparked debate on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter), where netizens and users shared their own experiences with biometric verification while questioning whether such technologies are designed to accommodate India’s diverse ethnic and facial features.

Taking to their X handles, several netizens shared their reactions to the viral video, with many recounting their difficulties in getting their biometric authentication completed, citing issues like fingerprints failing to register, facial recognition problems, and repeated authentication failures.

Others suggested practical solutions, with some recommending alternative verification methods such as fingerprint authentication, while others called for biometric systems to be updated and trained on more diverse data to better accommodate different facial features.

Eye opening humour coming from our North Eastern brothers hehe😭 https://t.co/uORo5vsqKd

— Viktor (@desishitposterr) August 12, 2026

I am from south india but have a bit of a trouble while doing immigration at some countries, dubai as an eg.

— Suraj (@sv1975) August 12, 2026

He needs to blink else it won't capture no matter you take out his eyes still won't capture. Just ask him to blink 🤷

— ದೇವ್/JOKER (@iDev__R) August 12, 2026

😂😂😂😂 They should also allow finger print verification as alternative

— Vinootana (@Vinootana) August 12, 2026

Why they are doing this , if it's for ID or something like that, the software shall workout the other way, if it's not for meme I would like to know in depth..

— G.RAJGURU ଗଣେଷ ରାଜଗୁରୁ (@ganeshrajguru) August 12, 2026

We should create alternative methods if people are facing problems nobody should suffer due to their natural biological traits

— A55bug (@A55bug) August 12, 2026

Technology needs to cater for all populations!

— Srinivasan Sriram 🇮🇳 (@SSRPillai) August 12, 2026

They don't even blink this is the reason they are focused to their goal

— Sujan Singh Rajput (@sujansingh5717) August 12, 2026

My fingerprints do not produce positive response when performing KYC exercise.Recently had hell of a time while opening an SB a/c at a bank.Finally they sent a staff to my home to check my identity

— BenjaminAranha (@aranha_benjamin) August 13, 2026

Happens with my dad, reform is must, it's very tough to do kyc and other authentication

— Ravi (@Ravi38194646196) August 13, 2026

Biometric scanner needs to be updated ✅

— NeonX (@Andy1deyt) August 13, 2026

Needs more diverse training data, biased eye-state detection from training data/thresholds optimized for a narrow range of facial features, exposing a deeper problem, AI-based public infrastructure can systematically exclude ethnic and regional populations

— Anurag Mohapatra (@postsbyanurag) August 13, 2026

Since the current biometric authentication system is likely to be reliant on rigid algorithms, the netizens and social media users emphasised the need for developers and tech providers to enhance software availability to ensure greater accuracy, inclusivity, and accessibility for people with diverse facial and biometric features.