What's New :
10th May 2022 (7 Topics)

Government’s plan on issuance of ‘e-passport’

Context

The government is using technology to increase openness. It is now prepared to offer e-passports shortly.

About

What is an e-passport?

  • The government announced the plan for the issuance of e-passports in the Budget 2022.
  • The e-passport will be a mix of paper and electronic passports, with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip.
  • An antenna will be integrated as an insert into the rear cover.
  • The chip will save crucial passport information, which will then be printed on the data page.
  • The International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations organization, specifies the qualities of an e-passport.

Privacy and Security:

  • The government underlined that the data collected from citizens for e-passports will be utilized solely for the purpose of passport issuing and related services.
  • There will be no secondary use of the data, hence addressing privacy concerns.
  • Digital certificates are used to verify and cryptographically sign future transactions.
  • Once collected, the information is kept in a secure industry-standard database.
  • The Security Operations Centre will run appropriate database security measures around the clock.

Implementation and technical responsibilities:

  • Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has purportedly won the contract to produce e-passports.
  • TCS will encode the hardware chips, which will be provided by the government.
  • The government has delegated technical responsibility to the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
  • The e-passports will be manufactured by India Security Press in Nashik, Maharashtra, which has given letters of intent for the purchase of 4.5 crore ICAO-compliant electronic chips.
  • Interestingly, the government gave India's first e-passport with biometric information to former President Pratibha Patil in 2008.
  • E-passports improve passport security by eliminating duplication and data manipulation, and border control agencies will utilize them to monitor passenger admission and leave.

What Is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)?

  • Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technique that uses radio waves to passively identify tagged objects.
  • It is utilized in a variety of commercial and industrial applications, including monitoring things through a supply chain and keeping track of materials checked out of a library.
  • Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a passive wireless technology that enables the tracking or matching of an object or person.
  • The system is made up of two essential components: tags and readers..
    • The reader emits radio waves and receives signals from the RFID tag, which utilizes radio waves to convey its identity and other information.
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