What is it?

• RFID is a passive wireless technology that allows an object or person to be tracked or matched.
• Tags and Readers are the two main components of the system.
• The reader sends out radio waves and receives signals from the RFID tag, while the tag communicates its identification and other information via radio waves.
• To be tracked, a tag may be read from up to several feet away and does not need to be in the reader’s direct line of sight.
  • Active RFID tags are RFID tags that have their own power source. Passive tags are those that do not have a power source. The reader’s radio frequency (RF) scan temporarily activates a passive tag.

Why in News:

• The movement of each Amarnath Yatra pilgrim will be tracked with the help of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags

Additional Information

• FASTag is a RFID passive tag used for making toll payments directly from the customers linked prepaid or savings/current account.
• Once activated, the tag employs radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and is attached to the vehicle’s windscreen.
• The tag is available in seven colours: violet, orange, yellow, green, pink, blue, and black, and it is valid for five years. Each colour corresponds to a certain vehicle group.
• This initiative is being implemented by Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company formed by the National Highways Authority of India, and National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI).
• FASTag is now in use on both national and state roadways.
• The toll fare is directly deducted from the linked account of the customer. FASTag is also vehicle specific and once it is affixed to a vehicle, it cannot be transferred to another vehicle.

References:

1. https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/electromagnetic-compatibility-emc/radio-frequency-identification-rfid
2. https://www.npci.org.in/what-we-do/netc-fastag/product-overview
3. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/amarnath-yatra-pilgrims-to-be-tracked-through-rfid-tags/article65410726.ece