BSID means biometric seafarer identity document
India has become the world’s first nation to issue a biometric Seafarer Identity Document (BSID), capturing seafarers ‘ biometric facial information.
The current Biometric Seafarer Identity Document (BSID) will alter the current Continuous Discharge Certificate,And the embedded chip is allowed to read at the point of sale readers, ATMs and by immigration officers.
The latest biometric facial technology is alleged to be an enhancement over bio-metric information based on two fingers or iris based bio-metric data. Using face matching software, the seafarer’s face is matched by passport photo at the moment of data capture. The card has two optical safety characteristics– microprints / micro texts and a Guilloche pattern that is unique. The New card is in line with the ILO Convention No. 185 enacted by India in October 2015.
These new documents will provide the seafarers with a foolproof identification that will facilitate their movement, facilitate job seizure and help identify them from anywhere in the world.
As India’s shipping minister Masukh Mandaviya said, the new documents will be rolled out over the next two years. The nine centers in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Noida, Goa, New Mangalore, Kochi, Vizag and Kandla have been established to issue the ID.
The total number of Indian seafarers working on Indian or foreign flagships risen from 154,349 in 2017 to 208,799 this year.
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