Digi Yatra: Objectives, Goals, Need, Benefits, and Concerns

PWOnlyIAS March 18, 2024 05:11 3610 0

Digi Yatra, an initiative by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, aims to provide a seamless digital experience for air travelers in line with the Prime Minister's Digital India vision.

Digi Yatra: Objectives, Goals, Need, Benefits, and Concerns

Introduction

Digi Yatra is a digital initiative which allows travellers to pass through various checkpoints at the airport through paperless and contactless processing, using their facial features as their identity linked to the boarding pass.

What is Digi Yatra?

Digi Yatra is a technical innovative program for passengers at the airports which ensures passengers are seamlessly processed through various checkpoints using a facial recognition system from entry point to aircraft boarding.

It also simplified the self-bag drop and check-in processes, leveraging facial recognition for passenger identification and data retrieval. Digi Yatra will facilitate paperless travel and avoid identity check at multiple points.

Scheme	Digi Yatra
Launch Year	December, 2022
Focus Area	Adopting Contactless and facial recognition technology in Airports
Nodal Ministry	Ministry of Civil Aviation
Coverage	All domestic Airport in a phased manner

Objectives of Digi Yatra

To Enhancing passenger experience	By elevating passenger experience by ensuring a seamless, paperless, and contactless journey at all Indian airports. By providing passengers with real-time information on facilities, protocols, airline timings, and queue waiting times.
Enhancing Airport Efficiency	By following “Digital Framework” which include: Walk-through security scanners swiftly owing to advanced biometric security solutions. Stay connected through the airport, possibly through airport Wi-Fi, engage in customized digital offerings at experience zones.
To Digitize current manual processes	By getting real time updates about congestion & delays to have greater visibility on the next step of the journey. By navigating seamlessly through the airport using digital guidance systems.
Strengthening security standards	Using Digi Yatra ID based identification to validate Boarding pass or e-ticket with the airline system in real-time. Using face biometric single token for processing Passengers at Checkpoints in the airports.

Digi Yatra

Goals of Digi Yatra

Setting Industry Standards for Digital Transformation- Establishing benchmarks and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to guide the digital transformation of the Indian Aviation Industry.
Unified Identity Ecosystem – Creating a cohesive “DigiYatra” Identity Management ecosystem that integrates digital identities such as Aadhaar, Driving License, Passport, and others. This system enables a biometric boarding process at all airports, including Tier 1, 2, and 3 across India.
Timely System Rollout Oversight- Monitoring and managing a time-bound rollout of the DigiYatra system by coordinating efforts among airlines, online travel agents, global distribution systems, and airports.
Communication and Marketing- Conducting extensive mass communication, marketing, and awareness campaigns through social media, television, and newspapers to inform and educate the public about the new standards and procedures.

Implementation of Digi Yatra

The project is being implemented by the DigiYatra Foundation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

DigiYatra Foundation is a joint-venture company which is backed by many shareholders including Airports Authority of India and Bengaluru Airport, Delhi Airport, Hyderabad Airport, Mumbai Airport and Cochin International Airport.

Digi Yatra

What is the Purpose of Digi Yatra?

Long queues and long waiting hours: Large crowds at airports due to clog paperwork especially led to frustrating delays which impacted the travel experience and overall satisfaction of passengers.
Inefficient paper-based processes: Existing paper-based document verification requires physical documents and manual checks, which are time-consuming and prone to errors.
Security Concern: Paper based methods could be prone to fraud and identity theft which raise security concerns for both passengers and authorities.
Absence of Contactless window: During the time of pandemic concern raised for the contactless option for the passenger for safe and secure travel
Growth in Air Transport: With the rollout of UDAN scheme a large volume of people started to opt air services and to make the aviation industry more efficient India needed a scalable and efficient system to manage the increasing demand.

Digi Yatra

Digi Yatra App

To avail the benefits of Digi Yatra, The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) and Digi Yatra Foundation created the Digi Yatra app.
It uses a facial recognition system (FRS) to verify the identity of the travellers.
Passengers can obtain Digi Yatra ID by sharing information such as their name, email address, mobile number, and specifics of an identification (Aadhaar, driving license, voter ID etc.)
- If the passenger has opted for Aadhaar-based verification, the identity will be verified online.
After getting an ID , passengers need to scan the barcoded boarding pass at the airport e-gate; the facial recognition system there will verify the identity and the travel document.
After that, passengers can enter and proceed as usual to get through security.
It takes less time to get through, airport entrance, pre-security check, and boarding gates.

Benefits of Digi Yatra

Contactless and paperless entry for the passenger which releases their burden of paper management during check in.
No ID or boarding pass of passengers required at every checkpoint.
Very less human involvement which means less time consuming process.
The app will map the passenger with the PNR, enhancing security.
Only legitimate passengers will be allowed to enter.
The airport operator will have real-time access to data on passenger volume.

Privacy Infringement: There are few incidents which suggest biometric data collection without clear and informed consent are raising concerns about passenger privacy.
Data Security: When Data is the new oil, Digi yatra heightened worries regarding personal data protection, fueled by previous instances of data breaches in the aviation industry.
Narrow adoption: Many people are in the habit of following the traditional format of paper work verification to keep themselves aloof from technical complications in application.
Technology Reliability: The facial recognition system may face potential challenges, including errors or biases, requiring ongoing scrutiny to ensure reliability.

Way Forward

Expansion of Digi Yatra:
- Due to the high volume of people at the airport there is a need to diversify the scope of Digi Yatra. Digi Yatra facility should be available at all major airports and offered by all airlines operating in India.
Integration with Service Providers:
- Linking Digi Yatra portal with other travel platforms like booking portals and ride-hailing apps can further give a more holistic experience to passengers.
Enhancing Security Features:
- Regular improvement of biometric authentication and data security measures is vital.
Protection of Data of Passengers:

- Encouraging more airlines, airports, and passengers to participate is crucial for wider acceptance.

Progress So Far

June 2023: Recently in an official statement, the Civil Aviation Ministry announced that the number of passengers who have installed the Digi Yatra application on their mobile phones has touched 1.746 million people since its launch.
August 2023: Digi Yatra facility launched at 6 more airports namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Guwahati airports.

Recent Developments/Controversies

March 2023
- The Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that Under Digi Yatra, passengers’ data is stored in their own device and not in centralized storage.
- In the Digi Yatra process, there is no central storage of passenger’s Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data.
- All the passengers’ data is encrypted and stored in the wallet of their smartphone.
- It is shared only between the passenger and the airport of travel origin, where the passenger’s Digi Yatra ID needs to be validated.
- The data is purged from the airport’s system within 24 hours of departure of flight. The data is shared by passengers directly, only when they travel and only to the origin Airport.
December 2023
- Passengers at several airports reported instances of CISF personnel and private airport staff enrolling them for Digi Yatra without their explicit consent or knowledge. Passengers felt misinformed and uncomfortable with their personal data being collected without their express permission.
January 2024

- Recently Ministry of Civil Aviation released a statement that Digi Yatra is purely voluntary for air passengers and personnel at airports have been directed to collect data for the application only with the consent of passenger

Strength	Boost to Efficiency: DigiYatra aims to remove lags and boost the efficiency in air travel processes, by reducing manual interventions and paperwork which will lead to enhanced efficiency. Technical Advancement features: Integration of facial recognition, strengthens security measures, ensuring accurate passenger authentication. It further enhances the security of passengers. Accurate Data for Operators: Once airports operators get real-time information about the passenger load which will further contribute to better resource planning and operational management for passengers.
Weakness	Heavy Technological Dependence: The progress and success of DigiYatra depends too much on technology and any technical malfunctioning in the technical system of Digi Yatra can disrupt the smooth functioning of the system. Creating Implementation Challenges: The rollout and adoption of new technologies across diverse airports and airlines may face challenges in terms of consistency and coordination. Recent example spat between passengers, airport authority and CISF personnel on data verification.
Opportunities	Adoption at global Level: DigiYatra provides an opportunity for India to adopt global best practices in digital aviation and stay at the forefront of technological advancements. Opportunity for Collaboration: Digi Yatra can foster collaboration between various stakeholders in the aviation industry, including airlines, airports, and government authorities. Potential for Innovation: DigiYatra can serve as a platform for continuous innovation, allowing for the integration of new technologies and features to further improve the passenger experience.
Threat	Data Privacy Concerns: Involvement of private companies in passengers biometric data management might pose a challenge and raises concerns about privacy and data security. Reluctance to Change: Passengers and stakeholders may resist the shift to digital processes, especially if they are accustomed to traditional methods of travel. Regulatory Challenges: Changes in regulations or legal challenges related to the use of biometric data and digital identities may pose threats to the implementation of DigiYatra.

Also Read: Indian Civil Aviation Sector

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Frequently Asked Questions

DigiYatra is an industry-led initiative that uses facial recognition technology to make terminal entry & security clearance at the airport a seamless, hassle-free, and paperless process. DigiYatra is a decentralised mobile-based ID storage platform where air travellers can save their IDs and travel documents.

No, Digi Yatra is specifically for the aviation industry.

DigiYatra has a centralized registration system for passengers. Passengers can create Digi Yatra ID in a central system by providing details such as Name, Email ID, Mobile Number and Details of Identity (Voter Id, Driving License, Aadhar etc).

DigiYatra will eradicate delays caused by extended passenger queues and alleviate congestion resulting from document verification processes.

For this point of time it is updated to bear only these technologies but in coming time Digi yatra has announced its goals for the coming year which include Setting Industry Standards for Digital Transformation, creating Unified Identity Ecosystem and enhancing monitoring system.

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Digi Yatra: Objectives, Goals, Need, Benefits, and Concerns

Introduction

What is Digi Yatra?

Objectives of Digi Yatra

Goals of Digi Yatra

Implementation of Digi Yatra

What is the Purpose of Digi Yatra?

Digi Yatra App

Benefits of Digi Yatra

Concerns and Issues Related to Digi Yatra

Way Forward

Expansion of Digi Yatra:

Integration with Service Providers:

Enhancing Security Features:

Protection of Data of Passengers:

Progress So Far

Recent Developments/Controversies

March 2023

December 2023

January 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Digi Yatra?

Is Digi Yatra applicable to railways also?

What documents are needed for Digi Yatra verification?

How will Digi Yatra help passengers?

Do going paperless, contactless and adopting face recognition technology are the only features in Digi Yatra?

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