Ration Cards are an official document issued by the State government in India to households that are eligible to purchase subsidized food grain from the public distribution System (under the National Food Security Act).
Under the National Food Security Act, all state government in India have to identify households that are eligible for purchasing subsidized food grain from the Public Distribution System and provide them with a ration card. The basic concept of food security globally is to ensure that all people, at all times, should get access to the basic food for their active and healthy life and is characterized by availability, access, utilization and stability of food.
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| image from NFSA |
There are two types of ration card under National Food Security Act.
1) Priority ration cards- These cards are issued to households that meet the eligibility criteria set by their state government. Each priority household is entitled to 5 kilograms of food grain per member.
2) Antyodaya (AAY) ration cards- These cards are issued to the poorest of poor households. Each AAY households is entitled to 35 kilograms of food grains.
One nation one ration card scheme
One nation one ration card scheme which will allow portability of food security benefits has been starting across the country from July 1, 2020. This means poor migrant workers will be able to buy subsidies rice and wheat from any ration shop in the country, so long as their ration cards are linked to Aadhaar. Last year March month Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced this scheme especially for migrant worker and their family members to access Public Distribution System (PDS) benefits from any Fair Price Shop in the country.
Migrants would only be eligible for the subsidies supported by the centre which include rice sold at Rs. 3 per kilogram and wheat Rs. 2 per kilogram. Even if the beneficiary moved to a state where grains were given for free, that person would not able to access those benefits, as they were funded by the state exchequer.
Currently, about 23 Corer ration cards have been issued to nearly 80 Corer beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act in all States and Union territories.
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| image from NFSA |
In the present system, a ration cardholder can buy food grains only from an FPS that has been assigned to her in the locality in which she lives. However, this will change once the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ system becomes operational nationally. For example, a ration cardholder lives in Gujarat State and migrated to Rajasthan State for work. Currently, the beneficiary is no longer able to purchase subsidized food grain from a Public Distribution System shop in a new locality. But under the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ system, the beneficiary will be able to buy subsidized food grains from any FPS across the country. Even in the same State, a beneficiary if changing her location from one district to another district faces problems, so on that situation One nation one ration scheme helps.
Beneficiaries are required to show their Aadhaar Card to buy food grains from any ration shop in the county. Only a ration card will suffice if beneficiaries want to get their Public Distribution System (PDS) entitlement only from a particular registered ration shop. The new system, based on a technological solution, will identify a beneficiary through bio-metric authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPSs, and enable that person to purchase the number of food grains to which she is entitled under the NFSA.
How One nation one ration card system of portability works
Portability is aimed at providing inter-state as well as inter-state portability of ration card. Central government implement Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) [www.impds.nic.in] that provides the technological platform for the inter-state portability of ration cards, enabling a migrant worker to buy food grains from any FPS across the country, the other portal [annavitran.nic.in] hosts the data of the distribution of food grains through E-PoS devices within a state. The Annavitran portal enables migrant worker or their family to avail the benefits of the Public Distribution System outside their district but their state. While a person can buy her share of good grains as per her entitlement under the National Food
Security Act, wherever beneficiary is based, the rest of her family members can purchase subsidized food grains from their dealer back home.
List of State names are proving ‘One Nation, One Ration’ Card scheme
There are 17 States and Union Territories name who nationally roll out the One Nation One Ration Card scheme─ Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh,
Bihar, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujrat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Lakshawadeep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand.
How much go far ‘One Nation, One Ration’ Card scheme
According to the data available on the Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) portal, only 1795 transactions have been done until June 7, 2021, and last month in May total transactions 9097. The number of transactions in intra-state ration card portability is increasing day after day. The central government also introduced 9 services of the “Mera Ration” App and get full details of ration card in your hand. Grievance redressal toll free helpline number 1967 for know your status of ration card.
image from NFSA