Biometrics technology is setting its foot in multiple industries, and this is just a start for biometric technology to shape up the digital advancement in India. The Government of India has been realizing the emerging necessity for the implementation of biometrics in various government-led initiatives, social welfare schemes and services.

Technology-based innovations offer enormous opportunities to create solutions that not only safeguard citizen’s security and rights buts also ensures their access to different public and private services.

The execution of biometrics technology has been increased across the globe as the governments of innumerable countries have been seeking an end-to-end, efficient, safe, cost-effective and secure identity solutions.

Government Schemes Enacting Biometrics Technology

Indian Government has initiated the world’s pioneering and largest identity program ‘ Aadhaar‘ – to enrol and identify 1.35 billion population of India through biometrics. Aadhaar has acted as a stepping stone to bring a social inclusion in India so that the citizens can enjoy their social rights, services, and government welfare schemes without experiencing any fraudulent identity theft.

A recent advancement in the government-led initiatives has been observed, following the adoption of biometrics technology as mentioned below:-

1. Indian Post Payment Bank (IPPB)

The India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) was instituted by GOI on September 2018, last year, so that the customers or account holders can procure opportune and accessible banking services at their doorsteps.

Initiated with 3,250 access points, IPPB said “it will be spreading its footprint and leveraging the vast postal network of nearly 1.55 lac Post Offices and 3.0 lac postal employees in every district, town and village of the country.”

The government-owned IPPB collects Aadhaar information of the customers to open their accounts. While a two-step verification is carried out taking into consideration the QR card and biometric data of an individual for authentication and carrying out transactions or payments. Mantra Biometric Fingerprint Device MFS100 is utilized by IPPB in driving the process of authentication.

2. Biometric Registration of Rohingya Refugees in J&K

As per the direction of the Centre, the states have collected the biometric data of Rohingya refugees concerning the security of the Nation.

Looking forward to it, in the month of December 2018, the state of Jammu and Kashmir has started collecting the Biometric details of the Rohingya refugees through biometric technology to provide them with a refugee certificate.

The registration process of Rohingya refugees in J&K is primarily done through the Mantra Biometric Fingerprint Device MFS100.

3. Blood Banks

Healthcare is deemed to be one of the conspicuous sectors for riding the wave of biometrics-based technology. As per the recent newscast, the Tamil Nadu government has successfully implemented biometrics to identify the blood donors.

Applying biometric identification in blood banks will assist the HIV positive donors to procure timely treatment and eliminate the obstacles related to take credentials.

After witnessing the effectiveness of the biometric identification process in TN blood banks, the central government is planning to adopt biometrics to verify and identify blood donors PAN India.

4. MGNREGA

MGNREGA i.e. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 was enforced by the Indian Government with an objective of protecting the livelihood of the rural population and boosting the employment opportunities for the poor families or inhabitants of rural areas.

The question that arises is ‘How biometrics can assist the government in MGNREGA?’ Biometrics has been a game changer for the government-led initiatives, assisting the government in various social welfare schemes in multiple ways through cutting-edge biometric devices.

Mantra’s innovative biometric time attendance system can support MGNREGA in efficiently recording the clock-in/clock-out time of the workers/employees, precise calculation of wages and enriching the productivity of workers/laborers.

5. Farmers Insurance

Biometrics has all the capability to take the agricultural industry by storm, assisting the farmers to claim their insurance through biometric identification. The ground-reality farmers do not get the benefit in today’s scenario and hence linking their Aadhaar details will allow farmer’s identification through their biometrics.

Furthermore, the marginal farmers have been kept away from the benefit of being the beneficiary as they do not receive the whole amount in the accounts. Biometrics will play a vital role for farmers assisting them to receive the amount in their Jan Dhan account once their Aadhaar is linked to their beneficiary account.

6. Ayushman Bharat Yojana

Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) i.e. A National Health Protection Mission has been rolled out aiming to benefit millions of people.

Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the beneficiaries are required to register and verify through its mobile number, Ration card or through Aadhaar via Fingerprint and Iris Detection.

Mantra a leading company in Biometric technology is extending its support by providing Biometric solution to all hospitals, which is empanelled in AB-PMJAY.

7. Fair Price Shop

With technological advancement, the retail industry is moving beyond the traditional practices while the government has asked the fair price shop owners to employ biometrics for imparting convenience and render maximum benefit to beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries are offered shop owners to identify beneficiaries through biometric scanners so that the beneficiaries are able to avail their services satisfactorily by linking Aadhaar card with them.

Conclusion

Currently, many governments led schemes like ayushman bharat yojana, mgnrega, pradhan mantri gramin awaas yojana, pradhan mantri jeevan jyoti bima yojana and many more are using mantra biometric products efficiently. The mantra biometric devices are employed in the government led initiatives as the devices are aadhaar certified and have received fbi certification.