For the first time, police use RFID tags for recruitment

saving time:Candidates participating in the police recruitment process have to wear radio frequency identification tag for the mandatory 1.5-km run.—photos: Mukesh Trivedi

For the first time, the Mumbai Police are using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in the physical tests of their recruitment process to electronically record the time taken by candidates to finish the mandatory 1.5-km run.

The tags have cut down the time taken in the process down to half.

The decision to use RFID tags was taken after seeing its success in the Mumbai Marathon, in which participants are given bibs with inbuilt RFID tags. The idea was suggested by Mumbai Police officers, who participate in the marathon every year, and after discussions, the police contacted some private suppliers and an arrangement was reached to procure the tags, said officials.

“Each candidate is given a tag to wear on their chest, at the beginning of the 1.5-km run, which is conducted every morning on the service road adjacent to the Vikhroli–Kanjurmarg stretch of the Eastern Express Highway. Scanners have been installed at the start and end points, and the timings are automatically recorded,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Administration) Anup Kumar Singh, under whose supervision the recruitment process is being conducted.

Earlier, the police used to make the candidates run in batches, with personnel manually recording timings. While one team of personnel would jot down the start time, another would note down the end time. The two timings were later compared, and those with the best timings were shortlisted.

Officials said the system was not perfect and there were instances of candidates getting into arguments with the personnel over the timings. Also, the supervising officers had to wait till one batch completed its run before letting the next batch begin. With the timings being recorded electronically, the police can now send batches within five minutes of each other.

“While the recruitment process would earlier take around six months, we expect it to be done in three months this time,” said Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Dhananjay Kulkarni, adding, “As an additional safety measure, we have installed video cameras at the start and end points. Along with speed, the process ensures accuracy and fairness in the recruitment process.”

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven Bharti said Mumbai was the first commissionerate in the Maharashtra Police to use RFID tags in the recruitment process.