Now, Passengers can use DigiLocker as ID proofs at airport

New Delhi, Oct 9: Passengers can now just show their IDs such as Aadhaar card, PAN card as well as their driving license from their digital locker as a valid identity proof in the airport. Yes you read it right.

DigiLocker as ID proofs at airport:

According to a TOI report, the order issued by the BCAS chief states that upon request from National e-governance Division, ministry of electronics and information technology, the issue related to acceptance of Aadhaar card, PAN card, issued by Income-Tax dept as well as driving licence, as a valid photo identity document when presented from the digital locker of a departing air passenger, has been examined and can be used as an identity proof to enter airports. However, it is stated that the documents uploaded by the passenger himself/herself shall not be taken into account as a valid photo identity document.

Passengers may not need boarding pass:

Meanwhile, it has also been reported that soon, air passengers may not need boarding passes to check in on flights as many airports are likely to do away with the boarding pass system. Therefore, passengers will be able to get security clearance just by simply looking into a camera as the airports are planning to install automated facial recognition system for passenger boarding process. Initially, the move will start in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports and later it will be introduced in Varanasi, Vijayawada and Kolkata airports as well.

What is a DigiLocker?

DigiLocker is a cloud-based digital locker to save documents online. Itis a platform for issuance and verification of documents and certificates in a digital format, thereby eliminating the use of physical documents. Indian citizens who sign up for a DigiLocker account get a dedicated cloud storage space that is linked to their Aadhaar or UIDAI number.

How does it work?

DigiLocker is part of the government's Digital India initiative. The project was launched by PM Modi in 2015, when it had a beta version. It is now completely ready, with the government telling all states to start officially recognising it. It is aimed at reducing the need to carry physical documents, while also aiding in paperless governance.