RAS question
FASTag is based on which technology?
Correct answer: (D) RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).
FASTag is based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, which lets the toll system read the RFID tag fixed on a vehicle's windscreen and collect the toll automatically.
Explanation
FASTag uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for automatic toll collection. An RFID tag is fixed on the vehicle's windscreen. When the vehicle passes through a toll plaza, the toll-lane reader identifies the tag and the toll is deducted from the account linked to that FASTag. Therefore, the correct answer is RFID, not QR Code, Near Field Communication (NFC) or Bluetooth. FASTag operates under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme managed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which provides clearing and settlement services. The Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), promoted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), implements the programme.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) QR Code is wrong because FASTag is not scanned as a visual code; it works through an RFID tag fixed on the windscreen and read in the toll lane.
- (B) NFC is wrong because FASTag uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), not Near Field Communication (NFC), 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 question tests the technology used in India's digital-payment and road-transport infrastructure. For RAS, the topic connects the Indian Economy syllabus with transport policy, electronic tolling and payment-system institutions such as NPCI.