Just when we thought we had come up with every conceivable use for a photo ID card, in comes this story, fresh from Calcutta. It appears that authorities along India’s border have turned to photo identification as a way to cut down on the problem of cattle smuggling. Reports show that approximately 25,000 cows are delivered illegally from India to Bangladesh every day. That is a ton of rawhide. While the notion of a card-carrying cow is inherently funny, this is no laughing matter, and the solution seems as good, if not better, than any for this troubling situation.

Authorities in Guangdong Province, China (one of the country's wealthiest areas) have introduced a plan which aims to boost security, prevent crime, and make cities and villages in Guangdong safer for everyone. RFID cards, to be issued to all residents, are a key element of this plan. Citizens would be required to carry one of these ID cards on them at all times, and information from the cards will be used to bolster a government program called the "public security information network." The RFID cards, which will hold information like bus records and credit card purchases, will likely transmit the information stored on the card to checkpoints at certain intervals. RFID cards, or contactless smart cards, have the ability to transmit information to a reader or interceptor through radio waves.

India is known for lots of things - the birthplace of many major religions, the Taj Mahal, delicious food, V.S. Naipaul, and the Indus Valley civilization. India has also long been revered for its spices, including cardamom, the unique ginger relative used in everything from digestive aids to Chai tea. There are over 40,000 cardamom growers in India today, and their regulatory group, the Spices Board, has introduced a new ID card program which is aiming to increase exports of the spice.

We’ve talked quite a bit about the different ways student ID badges are being used in high school settings. This year especially, more and more schools are now requiring students to wear photo ID badges at all times while on school grounds. On a side note, I’m guessing the lanyard will start to play a significant role in youth fashion, if it hasn’t already. While student ID programs are typically implemented for security purposes, many schools are finding other way to make use of these new mandatory accessories. One such school is Delaware’s Middleton High. Middleton’s ID cards are now linked to a computer listing that manages the school’s textbooks. It’s an innovative new way to distribute and track student reading materials.