DigiYatra facial recognition software

DigiYatra facial recognition software

Subject :Government Schemes

Context:  The government has introduced paperless entry at select airports to make air travel hassle-free. Under this initiative, airports will use a facial recognition software called ‘DigiYatra’ for entry.

Concept:

• To make air travel hassle-free airports will use a facial recognition software called ‘DigiYatra’ for entry under digi Yatra initiative
• It envisages that travelers pass through various checkpoints at the airport through paperless and contactless processing, using facial features to establish their identity, which would be linked to the boarding pass.

 How it works?

• A passenger has to register their details on the DigiYatra app using Aadhaar-based validation and a self image capture.
• At the airport e-gate, the passenger has to first scan the bar coded boarding pass and the facial recognition system installed at the e-gate will validate the passenger’s identity and travel document.
• Once this process is done, the passenger will have to follow the normal procedure to clear security and board the aircraft.

 Advantages:

• It makes flying more convenient and reduces congestion at airports.
• With this technology, the entry of passengers would be automatically processed based on the facial recognition system at all checkpoints – including entry into the airport, security check areas, aircraft boarding, etc.

Project implementation:

• The project is being implemented by the DigiYatra Foundation — a joint-venture company whose shareholders are the Airports Authority of India (26% stake) and Bengaluru Airport, Delhi Airport, Hyderabad Airport, Mumbai Airport and Cochin International Airport hold the remaining 74% of the shares.
• In the first phase, the initiative will be launched at seven airports, starting with three —Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi, followed by four airports namely Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, and Vijayawada by March 2023.
• The facial recognition system at various airports across the globe, including Dubai, Singapore, Atlanta and Narita (Japan), have helped bring in efficiency.