RFID tags will now be used to track Amarnath pilgrims.

The decision was taken amid heightened security threats to the pilgrimage.

Radio Frequency Identification is a wireless tracking system that consists of tags and readers.

• Radio waves are used to communicate information/identity of objects or people.
• The tags can carry encrypted information, serial numbers and short descriptions.

How do they work?

RFID tags use an integrated circuit and an antenna to communicate with a reader using radio waves at several different frequencies – low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and ultra-high frequency (UHF).

1. The message sent back by the tag in form or radio waves is translated into data and analysed by the host computer system.
2. Unlike Barcodes, RFIDs do not require direct line of sight to identify objects.