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Meet on smart cards

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 12. Sensing a major business opportunity for smart cards as the Central Government is considering the issuance of national identity cards to border residents, speakers from the corporate sector at an international conference, ``Smart Card Tech India 2003'', today asserted that besides being ``a good defence against terrorism'', a business model could be worked out to provide the card to every citizen at economical rates.

The rate could work out to Rs. 15 a card, which should be, machine updatable and machine-readable across different platforms. Despite several obstacles, national I-cards remain dear to the Union Home Ministry which is among the sponsors of the conference.

A South African representative whose country had pioneered the use of smart cards during apartheid stressed on its advantage in checking terrorism. ``Other benefits do not matter as much in the present circumstances, '' said Derick Rule, president of the Smart Card Society of Southern Africa.

The Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India, J. K. Banthia, drew attention to the enormity of the challenge

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