The Indian government is set to start deploying artificial intelligence-driven facial recognition systems at prominent railway stations, such as Mumbai CST, New Delhi, and Ahmedabad, to monitor individuals registered in the National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO). The initiative forms a component of a larger strategy aimed at improving passenger safety, especially for women, as part of the Centre’s Safe City project.

The AI system will connect to CCTV cameras placed at railway stations, according to reports. It is intended to analyze faces instantly and match them against entries in the NDSO, which presently holds more than two million records of convicted sex offenders. The aim is to identify recognized individuals seeking to enter or travel by rail, enabling authorities to implement necessary measures.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned this pilot implementation at seven key stations nationwide. Along with Mumbai CST and New Delhi, the system will be implemented at Bengaluru, Chennai, Howrah, Ahmedabad, and Pune stations. These sites were chosen because of their heavy pedestrian traffic and strategic importance in the railway system.

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The initiative stems from a petition submitted to the Supreme Court by the Women Lawyers’ Association, emphasizing the necessity for improved safety measures for women, particularly at public transportation centers. The petition referenced increasing offenses against women and pointed out low conviction rates—under two percent relative to the volume of unresolved cases.

In addition to facial recognition, the Safe City initiative involves the installation of intelligent lighting, emergency call stations, automated license plate recognition, and AI monitoring technologies such as drones. These initiatives are being executed in various metropolitan areas, such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

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Authorities have highlighted that the system will adhere to current privacy standards and function within well-established usage protocols. If proven effective, the technology may be extended to additional stations and various public spaces later on.