Nepal seeks India's approval for biometric national identity card as travel document

Nepal seeks India's approval for biometric National Identity card as travel document (ANI image)Nepal has formally requested India's approval to recognise its biometric National Identity (NID) card as an official travel document for cross-border journeys, alongside passports and citizenship certificates.At present, Nepali citizens travelling to India, particularly by air, must carry either a valid passport or an original citizenship certificate. Indian citizens entering Nepal are required to present either a passport or an original voter identity card with a photograph.However, Nepal's National Identity card contains biometric information, including fingerprints, facial images and iris scans. The programme was launched as a pilot in Panchthar district and among government employees in 2009