The Indian government has introduced multi-purpose smart cards for prisoners in Bihar state, enabling them to purchase things from canteen through cashless transactions.
About 2,100 inmates were provided with the e-cards in Beur central jail, reported the Press Trust of India (PTI).
Each e-card would contain the name of the prisoner, his father’s name, permanent residential address, case details, fingerprints, photographs, and identity proof.
“The smart card would ensure biometric authentication which would help the prison officials in preventing the misuse of the cards,” Anand Kishore, the director general of prisons and correctional services, said in a report by Times of India.
The prisoners can recharge their e-cards with the daily wages which they get from the home (prisons) department or their family members can pay for their recharge.
The smart card, developed by Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation, would help keep track of prisoners and would also be used as a health card for the inmates.
Bihar is one of the most backward states in India, yet it has surprisingly taken lead in using smart cards in various other facets of governance like rural job schemes and census.
Friends Read Free