School kids gets smarter with smart cardskids

06 September 2009

The all-in-one smart card which includes - identity card, library card and ATM card - was the privilege of only college students here.
But on Saturday, Canara High School became the first high school in the country to get such cards. Students from Class VI to Class X will get these cards.

The card, given in collaboration with the Corporation Bank will have the student's name, date of birth, blood group and their house address. The ID card is being funded by the bank.

School head master Umesh Mallya said: "Using this card students can pay their fees, which eliminates the need for the physical presence of parents at the school and the need for students to carry cash is also avoided.''

On Saturday, 951 such cards were issued to the students. Mallya said that all the students of Canara Group of Institutions will get these cards soon. "Plans for re-introducing bio-metric cards for college students is also on," he added.

Corporation Bank general manager B R Bhat said: "It is a double advantage for the bank. We are catching the customers young and we can also build our brand loyalty among the young customers, apart from empowering them."

"Earlier children were pushed into physical banking only after PUC. This exercise will see children access banking facilities during their school days," he added.

The only hitch with this card is that, only a parent ATM can be accessed though its a visa card. The minimum balance is pegged at Rs 100.

Bhat said the no frill account debit card known as `campus cash' is valid for a period of five years, after which it can be renewed.

"On completion of studies we replace it with a credit card. The card will also confer the student a `preferred customer status' while availing educational loan and housing loans. "It is a passport for educational loan at the bank, he said, adding that it is a unique experiment and was the first of its kind in the country.

source times of india