New Facial Recognition Tech Deployed at India-Nepal Border for Enhanced Security

The aim is to provide tighter security while also expediting clearance for regular border residents, saving time.

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has deployed advanced technology, including a Facial Recognition System (FRS) and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), at the Rupaidiha checkpost in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich to modernise border surveillance and screen individuals and vehicles along the India-Nepal border, an official said.

Ganga Singh Udawat, Commandant of the 42nd Battalion of the SSB, told ANI that authorities have stepped up checks to apprehend suspicious individuals and recover stolen vehicles crossing the border.

The official added that the Rupaidiha border with Nepal was on alert after receiving intelligence related to the Republic Day celebrations.

"Currently, at the Rupaidiha Trade and Transit Route, all passengers travelling to and from Nepal are being subjected to very thorough checking and frisking. There were some intelligence inputs related to the recent January 26th events. We were already taking measures in response, and my security operations continue around the clock. My force headquarters has installed new systems there... The Facial Recognition System helps me identify unwanted people when they pass by. The Automatic Number Plate Reader prevents stolen and wanted vehicles from crossing the Nepal border... There will be security benefits, and my goal is to further help border residents. Checks for travellers to and from Nepal will be faster, saving time.."

The Rupaidiha border is a "key" India-Nepal crossing in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district, connecting India to Nepalgunj, a city in Nepal.

Originally raised in 1963 in the aftermath of the 1962 India-China conflict, the SSB is one of India's central armed police forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The SSB is primarily tasked with guarding the 2450-kilometre-long Indian border with Nepal and Bhutan, as well as performing internal security duties, conducting anti-smuggling operations, and responding to disasters.

Over the decades, the SSB has played a crucial role in maintaining border security, fostering a sense of security among border populations, and supporting civil administration during emergencies.

The SSB has also proactively stopped the narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, arms smuggling and infiltration of anti-national elements at the border. The force also plays an important role in making the entire eastern region Naxal-free, in coordination with the Central Reserve Police Force and the local police.

- ANI