The Bihar government’s initiative to provide smart cards to prisoners drew appreciation at the two-day All India Prison Administrators’ Conference that concluded in Delhi on Thursday. Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde addressed the meet.

By swiping the card at a kiosk, prisoners will know their remaining jail term and wages they would get. One such kiosk came up at Beur Central Jail on April 25. Other jails would be equipped soon. “Participants from Odisha and Punjab approached IG (prisons) Anand Kishore, who made the presentation, seeking time to study the new initiative,” home (prisons) department director BCP Singh told The Telegraph.