First set of RIC readers handed over to Chiefs of Indian Navy and Coast Guard

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh handed over the first set of Resident Identity Card (RIC) readers to Navy Chief Admiral R K Dhowan and Coast Guard Director General Vice-Admiral A G Thapliyal on 14 January 2015.

These RIC readers will be used by maritime security agencies to check identity cards of the residents of coastal area issued under RIC Scheme.

As per RIC Scheme under the National Population Registrar, government had issued these identity cards to more than 65 lakh residents of coastal villages. Apart from this, the Union government is also preparing the National Population Registrar (NPR) in 3331 coastal villages under the said scheme.

Resident Identity Card (RIC) and Scheme
• The scheme aims at strengthening coastal security measures in 9 states and 4 Union Territories that shares their borders with sea-line
• The scheme of preparing RICs for residents of coastal areas is being implemented by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, an office under the Union Home Ministry
• Cards issued under the scheme will help the coastal security agencies to authenticate an individual’s demographic and biometric authentication without using Internet services
• These RIC cards are manufactured indigenously by Indian technology firms-- Ms ITI Limited and Ms Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL)
• These cards can be read only when the key present in the RIC is authenticated by the Verification Authentication card
• RIC reader is temper-proof and self-destructs itself if it is opened in an unauthorized manner

Initially, these card readers are issued to the Navy and Coast Guard but later they will be issued to the Maritime Police stations and State Governments as well.