Digi Yatra

Context

The Digi Yatra facial recognition system, currently used for seamless travel through Indian airports, may soon be expanded to include hotels, railways, and other public places, according to the CEO of the Digi Yatra Foundation, Suresh Khadakbhavi. 

Digi Yatra’s Potential Expansion

The vision is to create a “travel stack” that would allow for seamless movement across India for tourists, enhancing their overall travel experience.  This could include using Digi Yatra for hotel check-ins, rail travel, and even at popular tourist destinations like the Taj Mahal. 

Benefits for Tourists

• The proposed expansion of Digi Yatra can potentially be instrumental to the development of these areas, especially for Pakistani tourists who have to report their arrival and intended departure at each place of stay within the next 24 hours at the nearest police station. 
• Other tourists of different nationalities are also allowed to visit with a visa for a duration over 180 days, they have to register themselves at the Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO). 
• Most of these tourists would have to go through the rigmarole of having to register and/or verify their identity in order to gain access to certain facilities and services, thereby potentially improving their experience in the country if Digi Yatra is incorporated into such processes.

Privacy and Data Protection

• Another advantage of extending the usage of Digi Yatra covers different facilities including hotels and even public spaces – it can significantly reduce the chances of data leakage. 
• Currently, tourists even use the unencrypted formats of identification that include photocopying, screenshots, etc., thus exposing their data. 
• Digi Yatra has created a system that does not store passenger data, only hash values or numerical values representing the data. They have shared four data items, ensuring that sensitive information such as the passenger’s name, Aadhar number, face scan, and passport number are not at risk of being leaked.

Improving Airport Operations

• The objective of the Digi Yatra when it was launched in 2017 was centered on the improvement of the passenger throughput in the airports, with the goal of improving airport facilities with the increasing passenger traffic. 
• Generally, the above mentioned idea works to accomplish this goal in collaboration with the geographical enlargement of airports across the nation and further improving the practical management at airports.

Digi Yatra’s Current Implementation

• Currently, the air travelers are using Digi Yatra for the paperless movement across the airports to clear the security and boarding control with the help of facial scans instead of boarding passes. 
• The initiative was launched at the airports in December 2022 and now it encompasses 14 airports and the company’s goal is to integrate the service into 15 additional airports by the end of 2024.
• The Digi Yatra e-gates have been set up mostly at exits of the airports as they are termed as entry gates outside the passenger terminal building and in the queues for security check inside the PTV. 
• As of the last few years, these e-gates are also used at the boarding gates and the baggage drop counter, and thus, passengers do not need to present the boarding passes wherever they are needed.

Governance and Funding

• The Digi Yatra Foundation is a not-for-profit private company, which consists of five private airport consortiums and the Airports Authority of India where the five private airport consortiums have a 74% stake and the Airports Authority of India has 26%. 
• This consortium is also a source of funding for the Foundation.

Potential Expansion to Other Sectors

• The proposed expansion of Digi Yatra beyond air travel, to include hotels, railways, and public places, suggests that the initiative’s role could extend beyond its initial focus on airport operations.  
• This could have significant implications for various sectors, potentially enhancing the overall travel experience for tourists and residents alike.

Conclusion

The Digi Yatra initiative, which was initially focused on improving airport operations, is now poised to expand its reach to include hotels, railways, and other public places. This expansion could benefit tourists, particularly those from countries like Pakistan who face additional registration requirements, by streamlining the travel experience and enhancing data protection. However, the initiative must continue to address privacy concerns and ensure adequate consent from users to maintain public trust and acceptance.

Source: The Hindu

UPSC Prelims Practice Question

Q. Consider the following statements regarding Digi Yatra:

1. Digi Yatra is an initiative by the Government of India aimed at promoting paperless and hassle-free air travel.
2. The initiative uses facial recognition technology to authenticate passengers.
3. Digi Yatra is currently implemented at all major airports across India.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3

Ans – “b”

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