PUBLISHED: 10:07 +10:00, 6 July 2016 | UPDATED: 10:07 +10:00, 6 July 2016
The world’s largest biometric identity project may become the foundation of railway travel in India, and passengers attempting to travel without an Aadhaar card could soon be denied a ticket.
Sources say Indian Railways is set to link passenger ticketing services with the database scheme, in what is being seen as a bid to slash spending on subsidies and other concessions.
Officials say the plan is aimed at curbing cases of impersonation
The world’s largest biometric identity project may become the foundation of railway travel in India, meaning that passengers attempting to travel without a Aadhaar card could soon be denied a ticket
The Railways' move will be in contrast with a Supreme Court order last year restricting the use of Aadhaar to the public distribution system (PDS) and LPG connections.
The unique identity project was started seven years ago, with the aim of helping citizens, especially those who have no other form of portable ID, such as a passport or driving licence, to access banking and government services for the first time.
However, the top court said the programme cannot be made mandatory for access to government benefits.
The matter is pending before the Constitution Bench for a final decision.
The Railways' plan will be implemented in two phases, sources say.
In the first stage, it will be necessary to provide an Aadhaar number to get concessions under various quotas, such as those for senior citizens, freedom fighters, the disabled, students, and unemployed youths.
Indian Railways provides concessions in fares to 53 categories. A senior ministry official said the policy in this regard will be approved and implemented in 15 days.
In the second phase, that will take nearly two months, the Railways will link all ticketing services to the Aadhaar card.
During travel, the Aadhaar number listed on the ticket will be entered into a mobile device provided to each ticket examiner
This means that a passenger will have to provide the unique identity number at the time of booking a ticket either online or at the reservation windows.
Initially, Aadhaar will be required for booking reserved tickets, but later it will be made mandatory for unreserved tickets too.
Railway officials justified the move by saying this will ensure only genuine passengers travel by train.
They claimed that the majority of people are enrolled with Aadhaar, and so this will not affect them adversely.
A senior Railway Board official told Mail Today: “According to government statistics, 96 per cent of Indians have been given Aadhaar numbers. By making Aadhaar card mandatory, railways will be able to check impersonation and thus revenue losses".
Sources say Indian Railways is set to link passenger ticketing services with the Aadhaar scheme in a bid to slash spending on subsidies and other concessions
As per the plan, the Aadhaar number, provided at the time of booking, will be printed on the ticket.
During travel, the Aadhaar number listed on the ticket will be entered into a mobile device provided to each ticket examiner.
The passenger's identity details, including their photograph, will be displayed on the device to confirm who they are.
Rail Ministry accounts show that the department offers passengers a 43 per cent subsidy on a single train journey.
This means that if the Railways spends Rs 100 on a train journey, it only charges Rs 57.
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