Revolutionizing India's Public Distribution System: Massive digitization removes 5.8 crore fake ration cards

The Union Food Ministry said on Wednesday that the government's massive digitization effort has brought about a major change in the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country and 5.8 crore fake ration cards have been cancelled. This has set new standards for food security programs globally.

The ministry said in a statement that as part of the reform of the PDS system serving 80.6 crore beneficiaries, 5.8 crore fake ration cards have been removed through verification through the Aadhaar and electronic know your customer (e-KYC) system.

According to the statement, "These efforts have resulted in a significant reduction in irregularities and increased reach to the targeted people." According to the ministry, almost all 20.4 crore ration cards have been digitized. Of these, 99.8 percent are linked to Aadhaar and the identity of 98.7 percent of beneficiaries has been verified through biometric means.

According to the statement, 5.33 lakh e-POS (electronic point of sale) devices have been installed at fair-price shops across the country. Through this, along with verification through Aadhaar during food distribution, it is ensured that the ration is distributed to the right person.

The ministry said, "Today, about 98 percent of the total food grains are being distributed using Aadhaar verification. This has helped in separating the beneficiaries who are not eligible and reducing the risk of black marketing.'' Through the government's e-KYC initiative, 64 percent of the total PDS beneficiaries have already been verified. The process is going on at ration shops across the country for the remaining beneficiaries.

In the supply case, the ministry said that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has implemented a supply management system to send food grains to the right place, including an integrated vehicle monitoring system with the railways for real-time monitoring of food supplies. The 'One Nation One Ration Card' scheme has made the 'portability' of ration cards possible across the country. This has allowed beneficiaries to take ration anywhere in the country using their existing cards.

The ministry said, "The government has set a global standard for food security initiatives through digitization, accurate identification of beneficiaries and innovation in the supply system." The digital transformation includes the entire PDS system from procurement to distribution. This has ensured delivery to the real beneficiaries while eliminating fake cards and incorrect entries in the system.Revolutionizing India's Public Distribution System: Massive digitization removes 5.8 crore fake ration cards