Travelers passing through Indian airports can soon expect a smoother security experience, as the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is actively trialing advanced full-body scanners designed to bypass traditional Indian jewelry and attire. Trials are currently underway at Bengaluru and Cochin airports, focusing on refining algorithms to ensure items like mangalsutra and janeu no longer trigger alarms.
Refining Algorithms for Indian Cultural Items
While full-body scanners are standard internationally, their initial design often leads to alarms for metallic items, including common jewelry and religious threads. International airports have largely adapted their systems to accommodate standard jewelry and medical implants. However, the unique cultural and religious items prevalent in India necessitate a more tailored approach for the Indian airport security scanners.
BCAS Director General Rajesh Nirwan confirmed the ongoing efforts. "Full-body scanners have been designed for foreign countries, but keeping in mind Indian requirements such as mangalsutra and even janeu, it requires refining of the algorithm," he stated. "The work is in progress as we are collecting data from the ongoing trials of full-body scanners." The aviation security regulator is collaborating closely with equipment manufacturers and vendors to update software, ensuring these daily religious and cultural items do not cause unnecessary delays.
Privacy and Future Expansions
Initial mandates for full-body scanners across eight major Indian airports faced delays due to privacy concerns. Addressing these, Nirwan clarified that the upcoming scanners will feature image-agnostic displays. These systems will show generic mannequin silhouettes on screen, indicating only the specific body part where a suspicious item is detected, rather than a detailed image of the individual.
These security enhancements are part of a broader push to modernize India's aviation infrastructure. With 164 operational airports currently, India aims to expand its network significantly to 350 locations by 2047, making efficient and culturally sensitive security processes crucial for future growth.