National Common Mobility Card

The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs of the Government of India, as part of the ‘One Nation, One Card’ initiative. It aims to streamline public transport payments and promote digital transactions across India.

Overview

The NCMC is an interoperable transport card that allows users to pay for multiple modes of public transport, as well as make other retail payments, using a single card. It is equipped with contactless payment technology and enhanced security features. The NCMC can be used across metro trains, buses, suburban railways and for paying toll and parking fees. It reduces the need for carrying multiple cards or cash for daily transit and transactions.

Features

Key features of the NCMC include:

• Interoperability across transport modes
• Contactless transactions via NFC technology
• Secure encrypted transactions
• Offline low-value transaction capability
• Multi-purpose use for retail payments

Application Process

The NCMC is issued by partner banks including SBI, PNB and BOI. The application process involves:

• Applying online or visiting the bank branch
• Submitting KYC documents
• Activating the card as per bank instructions
• Topping up the card via netbanking, mobile banking etc.

Once activated and topped up, the NCMC is ready for payments across transport and retail.

Impact

The NCMC aims to digitize and streamline India’s public transport ecosystem for greater efficiency. By promoting digital payments, it is a step towards transforming daily transit and transactions to a digital-first approach.

Background

National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) was envisaged as part of the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) in 2006 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It runs as on RuPay card and automates the fare collection system. This eliminates the need to carry change and cash while travelling in the metro, bus or train, or for toll and parking. The gate and reader prototype for the NCMC was developed by government-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in compliance with the Make in India initiative. These cards would be issued by all public and private banks the same way credit, debit, and prepaid cards are issued.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2024

Category: Economy & Banking Current Affairs