essay on one nation one ration card

One Nation, One Ration: Implementation|UPSC Notes

One Nation, One Ration Card is a government initiative aimed at ensuring food security for all citizens, especially migrant workers. It allows beneficiaries to access their food rations from any Public Distribution System (PDS) shop across India, regardless of location. The significant welfare reforms by the government are the One Nation, One Ration Card policy which would help migrant workers and all the poor families reach food security. In this system, beneficiaries can access ration entitlement from any PDS shop anywhere in India.

• The scheme also assists migrant workers and their family members through flexible access to rations.
• It allows portability so that an antyodaya cardholder can collect his or her ration even at any place in India.
• Recipient do not have to return to their states to collect food grains entitled to them.

Table of Contents

How One Nation, One Ration Card Works

Under the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme, every family is being given one single unique ration card integrated with Aadhaar. This card shall be accepted throughout the country, so that beneficiaries can take their share of food grains from any PDS shop, anywhere in the country. The system is technology-driven and uses biometric authentication to eliminate all chances of tampering.

Key Features of the Scheme

• Aadhaar-based Identification : Beneficiaries must get their ration cards linked with Aadhaar for biometric identification. This way, the right person receives the rations.
• Portability of Ration Cards : A citizen can exercise his right to avail ration anywhere in India even if one is residing in another state.
• Tracking and Transparency : The system tracks ration transactions so that there is transparency without any duplication or fraud.

One Nation, One Ration Card and Migrant Workers

The primary idea of the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme was to support migrant workers. There is a vast migrant population that moves from one state to another in search of better employment opportunities in the country. When they changed places, their access to subsidized food would be restricted. This scheme makes it possible for migrant workers to consume food grains while taking advantage of the NFSA, without any discrimination.

• No need to change ration card : The migrant can avail the same ration card across all places
• Access to benefits anywhere : The foodgrains need not be brought from the state of residence while making claims
• Financial Security : The migrant can earn without disturbing his/her family members at home about their food needs.

The Technology Behind One Nation, One Ration Card

Technology has a huge stake in the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme. Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication ensures the rightful reception of due food grains to the beneficiaries as it verifies who they are. The chances of any kind of fraud are ruled out make the whole distribution process much more efficient. Electronic point-of-sale (ePOS) machines are given to the PDS shops that would verify the identity of the beneficiary through Aadhaar-based biometric data. After successful authentication, the transaction would be recorded, and food grains would be dispensed.

Working Steps

• Biometric Authentication : The beneficiary goes to the PDS shop and uses his Aadhaar number for authentication. It authenticates the biometric details of the beneficiary.
• Verification : The system checks whether the beneficiary is eligible for the issued food grain and records the transaction after the authentication process.
• Disbursal : The PDS shop dispenses the food grains to the beneficiary.

Implementation Obstacles of One Nation, One Ration Card

While the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme has had a success story of its own so far, problems abound. Many states have operational technical glitches and problems with digital infrastructure. Another is that most people may not have Aadhaar or have problems in biometric verifications, particularly in rural belts. These have to be addressed to get it out to more people

Some of the Major Challenges

• Technological Obstacles : Such infrastructure may not be available in rural areas.
• Biometric Failures : Exhausted fingerprints of labourers may pose a problem and biometric authentication becomes tough.
• Lack of awareness : Many people, especially in remote areas are unaware of the benefits of the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme.

One Nation, One Ration Card: State-Wise Implementation

Much dependency on the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme has been placed on the cooperation between the states. Each state needs to integrate its PDS system with the central database by allowing ration cards to be ported from one place to another. Many states have already achieved it; however, the rest are still at the inception stage. So far, most states have undertaken this scheme, but constant upgrading and monitoring is required for it to function smoothly.

Advantages of Inter-State Collaboration

• Beneficial access for States : All States collaborate for equal treatment without regard to where the beneficiary resides.
• Grievance Reducing : It limits the likelihood of counterfeit ration cards or cases of fraudulent claims.
• Data Sharing : States can share data easily and monitor the movement of beneficiaries across borders.

Economic Impact of One Nation, One Ration Card

An economic impact is therefore made by this One Nation, One Ration Card scheme. A direct reduction of wastage and leakages in the system can be achieved as the food grains reach the targeted beneficiary directly. Migrant workers also save time and resources as they need not return to their home states to receive their food entitlements. This leads to an increase in productivity and stability within the economy, particularly for the poorer classes.

Long-run Economic Implications

• Reduced Leakages : Improved tracking and monitoring reduce leakages during distribution.
• Empowered Migrant Workers : For migrant laborers, with easy access to food grains, more stress is on the jobs rather than being in the line for ration.
• Better Resource Allocation : Resources can be allocated better by the government by monitoring real-time data.

One Nation, One Ration Card, a much-needed historic reform, aims for the food security of all citizens-especially migrant laborers a reality. Portability and removing state-wise restrictions will allow people to access entitlements without confining themselves to geographies. At least for the medium run, the economic stability it is likely to create and reduce wastage cannot be denied. It’s indispensable for the government to improve the system so that every eligible citizen benefits from this radical policy change.

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One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution rolled out a pilot scheme titled, One Nation One Ration Card Scheme in four states on a pilot basis in 2019. 12 states were added on 1st January 2020. It was reported by the Central Government that about 86% beneficiaries under the NFSA were brought under the One Nation One Ration Card plan.

Another recent change is with regards to food security of migrant workers. In this scheme, beneficiaries can lift their entitled foodgrains from any electronic point of sale (ePoS) enabled FPS in the country through portability. “Portability gives that choice, while at the same time enabling the family back home to draw the remainder of the eligible ration,” the government explained.

Latest update on One Nation One Ration Card Scheme-

• The Centre has informed that with Assam implementing the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ (ONORC) scheme, its pan-India rollout is now complete. All 36 states and union territories,  are now under the ambit of the Central government’s ambitious programme, making food security portable throughout the country.
• Subsidised food grains worth Rs 40,000 crore is delivered to beneficiaries through portability.
• Since the launch of ONORC, 710 million portable transactions – 436 million under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and 278 million under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyana Anna (PMGKAY) transactions have taken place under ONORC.
• Another dimension under the ONORC plan is the ‘Mera Ration’ mobile application which has been rolled out to take maximum advantage of the ONORC plan. The mobile app is providing a host of useful real time information to the beneficiaries and is available in 13 languages.

As of June 2021, four States/UTs of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and West Bengal were to be bought under the ONOR scheme. The aim of the scheme is to ensure hassle-free delivery of subsidized food grains to all migratory beneficiaries anywhere in the country through nation-wide portability under National Food Security Act (NFSA.)

The scheme is one of the important government schemes for the eligible beneficiaries under NFSA. Read the significance of one nation one ration card for UPSC exam preparation.

One Nation One Ration Card – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here

What is One Nation One Ration Card?

It is a national ration card that will enable migrant workers and their families to access the  public distribution system (PDS) benefits from any fair price shops across the country.

The characteristics of the ONORC are:

• Existing ration cards will be turned as one nation one ration card.
• It will be a universal ration card allotted to each beneficiary registered under NFSA.
• Using the ONORC, a beneficiary who migrates from one place to another can buy subsidized food grains from the fair price shop located in the destination city regardless of the origin of the beneficiaries.
• The beneficiaries will be identified through biometric authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices. These devices will be installed at each fair price shop.
• Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) portal – It will provide the technological platform for the ration cards portability.
• Annavitran portal – It will host the data of the food grains distribution through ePoS devices within a state. This will help a beneficiary to access subsidized food grains within a state (inter-district.)
• Aadhar Cards will be seeded with ration cards which will help beneficiaries get the ration using the same ration card.

Read more about Aadhar usage in PDS in the linked article.

Objectives of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

In simple words, the ONORC will bring the following changes:

• Reforms in the public distribution system.
• Access of food grains to each beneficiary.
• Integrating all the Indian states and UTs in the scheme by March 2021.

Salient Features of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

• It is being implemented under the Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS.)
• 65 crores beneficiaries are being covered under the ONORC scheme.
• 80 percent of beneficiaries registered under NFSA has been covered under the scheme.
• 25 states and UTs have been integrated into the scheme.
• 81 crores beneficiaries are reported to get the benefits of this scheme once all states/UTs will be integrated under the scheme.
• The government will come up with a helpline number to assist beneficiaries.

Benefits of the ONORC

The major benefit of the One Nation One Ration Card is as follows:

• Those agile of the ONORC will receive subsidised food grain from any Fair Price Shop in the country, immensely benefitting migrants staying in different parts of the country.
• With the ONORC, all the beneficiaries in one state can get the same fair rations in other states where the ration card was issued.
• In case of any foul play, a beneficiary can switch to an alternative FPS almost immediately.
• The scheme will be of benefit to women and other poorer sections of the society since social identity will be a strong factor in accessing PDS.
• The ONORC will help in achieving the target of eliminating hunger by 2030, given the fact that it has been ranked 102 out of 17 in the Global Hunger Index.

Challenges regarding the Implementation of the One Nation One Ration Card

• Exclusion Error: Once the PDS processes have been digitised through smart cards and Aadhar linking then leakages could be reduced, but there have been exclusion errors post Aadhar linking as of late.
• Lack of Data: There is a shortage of data on the population moving to other cities to work. As such it becomes a difficult task in identifying the beneficiaries as they move to different locations.

Domicile-Based Social Sector Schemes: Along with the PDS most of the welfare schemes and food security measures were based on historic domicile-based access and restricted welfare and entitlements at their places of origin, thus negating any chance of non-native population from accessing such benefits.

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Essay On One Nation One Ration Card | Advantage & Disadvantage

Essay On One Nation One Ration Card

H ello, Friend Jai Hind …In this post “ Essay On One Nation One Ration Card “, we will read about the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme as an Essay in detail with all its Advantages and Disadvantages in 1500+ Words …

Note: This “ Essay On One Nation One Ration Card” is a result of deep research and hard work . it takes a lot of time to write, it is beneficial for all competitive exams .

Let’s Start… (Essay On One Nation One Ration Card)

Essay On One Nation One Ration Card | Advantage & Disadvantage

Introduction

I t is said that necessity is the mother of invention, at the present time when the whole world is facing the corona crisis, new measures are being emphasized to solve the problems.

The problem of the maintenance of migrant laborers in the country is emerging during lockdown times.

The reason for this is that the states in which those people have gone to work are not getting the benefit of the Public Distribution System due to the lack of ration cards of those states.

To give the benefit to the Public Distribution System , the S tate Government gives ration cards to its citizens, and through this card, a consumer resident of one state cannot use that card in another state but now the C entral Government has implemented One Nation One Ration Card Scheme .

Under this scheme, consumers using the ration card of one state will be able to avail of the same benefits that they get in their home state by using it in any other state of the country.

Although it started in April 2018 when the Integrated Management of Public Distribution System i.e IMPDS was launched for the purpose of improving PDS , due to many problems, it could not be extended in due time.

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme ‘ was launched in four states on a pilot basis in 2019 by Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan , now the scheme was available across the country from 1st July 2020 .

After the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme , people going to work from one state to another state will also get the benefit of government ration .

612 lakh tonnes of food grains are given to 81 crore people every year through ration cards . As per the reports of the ministry of home affairs , there are 4 crore migrant workers in India .

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What is the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme?

U nder the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme , the beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System will be able to get food grains in any state or union territory.

The poor migrant laborers can get ration from any Public Distribution System shop in the country under the scheme. For example, if a UP worker goes to work in Delhi, he can get a subsidized ration in Delhi on the same ration card .

Apart from this, if a person goes to work from one district to another district within his state, then he can get the facility through ration card there too.

For this, it will be necessary to make the ration card portable and the ration card will have to be linked with the Aadhar card .

If a state is running some kind of food security scheme at its level, then the migrants of that state will not be able to get this facility in any other state.

Actually, there is a difference in the rules of the states in the Public Distribution System , in some states grains are given at a lower price than the central government , while in many states the number of items found is more.

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme can be implemented in those ration shops where the point of sale (POS) machine is available.

The objective of implementing this scheme is to ensure that no poor person is deprived of subsidized food grains .

In the initial period, there are 12 states who join the National Portability under this scheme. On 1 May 2020 , the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution added 8 more states to it.

So far, 68.5 crore beneficiaries from a total of 28 states and union territories have been associated with this scheme. The government claims that 100% of beneficiaries will be added to it by March 2021 .

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The benefit of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

• O ne Nation One Ration Card system is related to the responsibility of the migrants. Usually, there is a huge cost in identifying the beneficiaries, there are many errors related to inclusion and exclusion. If a migrant family changes their place of residence, then they face many obstacles to get subsidized ration again . But the biggest advantage of this scheme is that the laborer can easily get ration at the working place without any formalities.
• A nother benefit is that this scheme will also eliminate the problem of fake ration cards . By essentially linking all ration cards to Aadhaar and the details of all consumers coming to the “ point of sale ” machine, no person can keep a fake ration card . Because the machines of all PDS shops will be linked to each other.
• P artial or seasonal migration in India has become a common scenario. Sometimes people migrate only for 5-6 months and come back to their homes. It is also seen that only one member of the family migrates for work while the rest of the family stays at home, The third advantage of this scheme for such people is that each member can get his share of ration from any place. In such a situation, this system can prove to be very profitable, so that the migrant will be able to take food anywhere, while his family can get their share of ration in their village itself. Although there will be some problems with this system, technically it is possible to do so.
• T he distribution of ration is done by fair price shops. But there have been many cases when beneficiaries have complained of discrimination by dealers. Usually, this discrimination is seen in the context of providing quality services. In such a situation, the fourth advantage is that under the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme , the beneficiaries will get the opportunity to choose the dealer of their choice . If a dealer makes a mess in the allocation of ration, the beneficiary can immediately take service of another shop. It is generally seen that social identity and power-related factors become an obstacle to the success of the social distribution system.
• D ue to this scheme, an effort has been made to improve the Public Distribution System through competition. In this form, the One Nation One Ration Card is a scheme to encourage competition and divert bargaining power from dealer to beneficiary. This scheme will give the beneficiaries the opportunity to choose those ration shops which ensure better service . Obviously, this will encourage competition among dealers in a way that will provide better services to the people.
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Challenges of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

• S ome people in the country are also required to migrate for their livelihood . He stays out of the house for a few months and comes back to his home. If on migration, he changes his ration shop and has to come back and do it again, there may be a technical problem in updating the data again and again.
• T he second challenge related to this is supply chain management , in fact, the intention of the states is not taken into consideration that, when they give their ration to the people of another state , So how will the supply of the decreasing ration in their state be supplied?
• A t any ration shop it is determined that, according to how many ration cards are connected there, the ration reaches there only. In such a situation, if the number of people in a shop increases, then there will be a shortage of ration . it is not even known that consumers who grow this month will stay here or will go away next month. In this situation, the entire supply chain management will have to be improved.
• T here is a problem in this that if there is less allocation of grains in a state than the prescribed quantity, then it can be seen as a tussle between the states. This is the reason that many states also opposed it. In states like Bihar, UP, whose residents go to work in other states, their allocation may be reduced.
• A “ point of sale ” machine is used for the implementation of this scheme. It is operated through the Internet but Internet service in rural areas is often interrupted. In such a situation, basic infrastructure needs to be improved for better implementation of this scheme.
• A adhar biometric can create constraints in the smooth food supply for migrants workers. Overall, many challenges exist in the way of the success of the program.
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Conclusion (Essay On One Nation One Ration Card)

O ne Nation One Ration Card Scheme based on the digitization of Aadhar card and ration card .

PDS can be combined with a rating system, by studying this rating, the government can improve it through monitoring and control. But for the success of this system, it is necessary to have unified information like App based services .

The One Nation One Ration Card Scheme has the potential to improve PDS results , but it requires that the entire chain be closely monitored and strengthened infrastructurally.

There is a need to ensure the availability of the “ point of sale ” system and its program at PDS shops so that there is no compromise with the rights of the beneficiaries.

It will also reduce the practice of black marketing at the PDFS shops . currently, the PDS shop owner sells those food grains in the market in the absence of actual beneficiaries .

But there are many sections of the society that still don’t have Aadhar cards , thereby depriving them of food security .

Overall, to eliminate the problem of hunger and malnutrition in the country, the implementation of the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme is the need of the hour.

Although there are many challenges in its path, if this scheme is implemented with an efficient strategy , then it will surely play an important role in improving the nutritional level of the poor section of society .

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One Nation, One Ration Card Scheme – Pros & Cons

From Current Affairs Notes for UPSC » Editorials & In-depths » This topic

India is a welfare state. This means that it is the duty of the government to ensure the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. One Nation One Ration Card Scheme seeks to provide solutions to the limitations of the previous food security schemes that were domicile-based, that is, the beneficiaries can only avail for the assistance at a fixed Public Distribution System and cannot change this without undertaking prior complex procedures.

What is One Nation One Ration Card Scheme?

• This is a scheme that allows Inter-State Portability of the Ration Cards .
• A ration card is an official government document that allows certain households to purchase food grains at a subsidized rate from the Public Distribution System that comes under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA ).
• NFSA or the Right to Food Act is an act that provides legality to the existing food security schemes like the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services and PDS.
• The PDS came as the result of famine in 1940.
• It was revived in 1970 as a universal food security program for the whole nation.
• In 1997, when India opened its markets for globalization , the universal food security scheme was turned into a targeted program that identified the individuals who require food security from the government.
• Due to pressure from judiciary and civil society, in 2013, the National Food Security Act was implemented.
• This made the right to food a legal entitlement for two-third of the Indian population.
• As per the act, all the state governments must identify the eligible households that require subsidised food grains for survival and provide them with the ration card.
• The One Nation One Ration Card Scheme ensures that no individual is deprived of the benefits because of migration from one state to another.
• The beneficiary can avail for the same benefits in any of the public distribution system he/she wishes across the country.
• This scheme is going to be available for the whole nation 1 st July 2020.
• It was initially launched in pilot basis on August in the following states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
• These states have fully digitized their PDS operations and are fully prepared for the upcoming changes that are brought about by this scheme.

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What are the benefits of this scheme?

• In India, 37% of the population is a migrant labour force.
• However, it normally takes two-three months to obtain a ration card in a new location.
• This gives losses to the migrants and reduces their efficiency.
• This scheme seeks to overcome these drawbacks by enabling the migrants to access these benefits at any part of the country.
• The authentication is made using Aadhaar verification .

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 How does it help the migrant labour force?

• To an economy, mobilization of the labour force is essential for the better employment opportunities and reduction of poverty.
• A majority of the poor either practice seasonal or temporary migration for their survival.
• Many estimate that about 10 crore people who work in informal sector practice seasonal rural-to-urban migration.
• The incidents of migration are caused mainly due to the recent agrarian crisis, unemployment, and poverty.
• The sectors that accommodate these migrants include construction companies, brick kilns, plantation, agriculture, manufacturing, and other informal sectors.
• However, these migrant workers still face a financial crisis as most of the anti-poverty , food security, rural employment, and other welfare schemes are mostly domicile-based access schemes.
• About 45.36 crore individuals are migrant labour force . These are mainly poor families in search of jobs.
• To reduce the unemployment rate and poverty in the cities and towns due to migration from rural areas in search of jobs, faster and efficient food security schemes are essential.
• The one nation one ration card seeks to do the same.
• This scheme also provides nutritional benefits.
• Their right to avail for government benefits will not be hindered due to migration because of this scheme.

How does this scheme help curb existing corruption?

• The Indian Government for the last five years has undertaken measures to weed out duplicate ration card .
• Due to this, the government was able to delete approximately 3 crore bogus and duplicate ration cards .
• One of the main aims of one nation one ration card scheme is to ensure authentic ration cards are used and no individual is a beneficiary in more than one location at the same time.
• This scheme is implemented by the linking of Aadhaar card and biometrics . This reduces the possibilities of corruption .
• However, the Aadhaaar card is not mandatory to access NFSA . There are other means to verify the identity of the individual.
• The government is also creating a central data repository to integrate all the data available within the states on everything related to the ration card and PDS.
• The digitized central repository ensures that no duplication or corruption is possible.

How will this scheme be implemented?

• This scheme allows for i ntra-state portability . As of now, ten states are ready for this scheme.
• They are Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tripura.
• These states have 100% Point of Sale Machines and all Public Distribution Systems are connected to it.
• The availability of the PoS machines is essential to implement this scheme.
• Already, about 77% of the ration shops has been equipped with Pos machines .
• The beneficiary, because of this, can access the benefits from any of the PDS available within the state other than the one that was nominated for him.
• The government cannot directly implement this ambitious scheme that allows for the inter-state portability of the ration card without prior testing of the efficiency of this scheme.
• Therefore the intra-state portability is first undertaken to test the compatibility of the scheme.
• Thus the government is building clusters on a pilot basis.
• The government is also planning to incorporate all the Public Distribution Stems across the country with the Depot Online System .
• This gives the government complete details on the supply chain of the PDS and the distribution to the beneficiary.

What are the limitations of this scheme?

• Federal Structure : The Tamil Nadu Government argued that this scheme is against federalism. Each state has different rates. There may be divergences and objectionable consequences.
• Difficulty : The exact data on who are migrating where is essential for the efficient implementation of the scheme.
• Domicile-based legislations : The existing domicile based schemes must also be mobilized to ensure the efficiency of the scheme.
• Exclusion : Sometimes the migrant worker will travel in search of work without the family members. Those who stay behind may face a crisis because of the availability of only a single ration card.
• Technical glitches : Digitization always has limitations. There are bound to be technical problems while implementing the scheme.

Way Forward:

• The Food Security Scheme under the NFSA is highly expensive. If the food grains are not distributed in a targeted manner , then it will increase the financial burden of the government.
• The One Nation One Ration Card seeks to unify the whole nation so that there are minimum corruption and higher coverage.
• Splitting up of ration cards between those who are left behind and the one who migrates in search of work is essential to allow efficient coverage of the food security to the poor families. Rashtriya Swathya Bima Yojana (RSBY) does just that. It is a scheme that splits the unique insurance card to help the migrant as well as the family members who were left behind.
• Other welfare schemes that cover health, nutrition, etc., must also be mobilized to ensure no one is left behind from availing the assistance of the government in order to improve the ease of living of the population.

Article by: K.G.Karishma

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One Nation-One Ration Card scheme

Topics covered: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What to study? For prelims: key features of the proposed scheme, PDS. For mains: Need for, significance of the scheme and challenges in its implementation.

Context : Five more States join ration card portability.

Bihar, Punjab, UP, Himachal and Daman and Diu have been integrated with the ‘one nation, one ration card’ scheme.

About 60 crore beneficiaries from 17 states and UTs can benefit from the ration card portability and they can purchase the subsidised foodgrains using the existing ration cards.

About the scheme:

One Nation One Ration Card (RC) will ensure all beneficiaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from any PDS shop of their own choice.

Benefits : no poor person is deprived of getting subsidised foodgrains under the food security scheme when they shift from one place to another. It also aims to remove the chance of anyone holding more than one ration card to avail benefits from different states.

Significance : This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tied to any one PDS shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption.

Standard format of ‘one nation, one ration card’:

A standard format for ration card has been prepared after taking into account the format used by different states.

• For national portability, the state governments have been asked to issue the ration card in bi-lingual format, wherein besides the local language, the other language could be Hindi or English.
• The states have also been told to have a 10-digit standard ration card number, wherein first two digits will be state code and the next two digits will be running ration card numbers.
• Besides this, a set of another two digits will be appended with ration card number to create unique member IDs for each member of the household in a ration card.

Challenges :

Prone to corruption: Every state has its own rules for Public Distribution System (PDS). If ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ is implemented, it will further boost corruption in an already corrupted Public Distribution System.

The scheme will increase the woes of the common man and, the middlemen and corrupt PDS shop owners will exploit them.

Tamil Nadu has opposed the proposal of the Centre, saying it would result in undesirable consequences and is against federalism.

  Insta Links:

Prelims Link:

• What is PDS?
• What is NFSA? Eligibility? Benefits?
• How are fair price shops established?

Mains Link:

Discuss the significance of One Nation One Ration Card scheme.

Sources: pib.

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