RAS question
FASTag is based on which technology?
Correct answer: (D) RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).
FASTag is based on Radio Frequency Identification technology, which lets the toll system read the RFID tag fixed on a vehicle's windscreen and collect toll automatically.
Explanation
FASTag uses Radio Frequency Identification technology for automatic toll collection. The official FASTag FAQ describes it as a device that uses RFID to make toll payments directly while the vehicle is moving. The RFID tag is fixed on the vehicle's windscreen, and the toll payment is made from the account linked to that FASTag. This is why the answer is RFID, not a visual code or a short-range phone-style communication method. FASTag falls under the NETC programme managed by NPCI; the official FAQ supports NPCI's role in clearing and settlement services for the FASTag programme, while IHMCL, promoted by NHAI, implements the programme.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) QR Code is wrong because FASTag is not scanned as a visual code; the official FASTag FAQ says it uses RFID and is affixed as a tag on the windscreen.
- (B) NFC is wrong because FASTag uses Radio Frequency Identification, not Near Field Communication, for toll payments.
- (C) Bluetooth is wrong because FASTag works through an RFID tag read at toll plazas, not through Bluetooth pairing or device-to-device connectivity.
Concept
This tests the technology used in digital payment infrastructure within the Indian Economy syllabus. It recurs in RAS because FASTag links transport policy, electronic tolling and payment-system institutions such as NPCI.