As the country works hard to go cashless, the use of quick response codes has spiked.
India has managed to take lowly QR codes and make them a central part of the way things function. While the main spotlight has been focused on the quick response codes used in mobile payments transactions, the country is taking their use much further.
You can scan a QR code to avoid using cash when buying from many merchants, but now other tasks use barcodes, too.
Recently, the Kolkata Metro announced the upcoming use of QR codes as tickets. This will allow public transit system riders to use their mobile phones as their metro tickets so they can enter the platform.
The system will work through an app commuters can download onto their phones. Once the mobile device user has paid for his or her metro fare, a unique QR code is generated. The mobile screen can be held close to a sensor attached to a smart platform gate which scans the barcode. Once the scan is complete, the gate opens and the transit rider can enter the platform.
The QR codes are also being used as verification systems to ensure honesty among students and even police officers.
A new Android app is on its way Bidar Police smartphones. The app is called Subhahu and is designed to make police assistance more accountable while boosting efficiency. The mobile app Is meant to ensure police constables will complete their rounds on time and won’t miss any streets or even homes. It will also ensure immediate responses to emergencies. If the launch remains on schedule, it will occur in February. New QR code tags will replace the old e-beat system. They will be easier to maintain and will be less likely to require maintenance to keep them working. The barcodes will fill in the gaps in GPS location data.
The University of Mumbai has also jumped onto the QR codes bandwagon by adding the barcodes to their degrees. This will allow graduates to prove that their degrees are real and will help to overcome a growing problem of fake degrees fraudulently printed with the university’s name.
