Central govt. has announced to launch One Nation One Ration Card for all the citizens of India including migrant workers & poor people. The One Nation One Ration Card Apply Online Standard Format is designed by the central govt. which is to be followed while issuing fresh ration cards. The central govt. is going to start Aadhar-Rashan Card linking. The primary purpose is to ensure food security and giving freedom to beneficiaries to purchase ration from any PDS shop. Aadhar Ration Card linking will ensure that no person is deprived of getting subsidized food grains under Food Security Scheme when he migrates from one place to another.
Accordingly, the linking of Ration Card with Aadhaar Card would reduce corruption and enable beneficiaries to get Rashan from any PDS shop across the country. In some states, One Nation One Ration Card is already functional in the name of Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS). Union govt. is also planning to create a real time online database of ration cards on the lines of GSTIN.
Latest Update (30 June 2020) To ensure national portability of ration to benefit migrant workers, central govt. will start One Nation One Ration Card Scheme. PM Narendra Modi has made the announcement to start One Nation One Ration Card Scheme soon in his address to the nation on 30 June 2020.
From August 2020, 67 crore migrant workers in 23 states would benefit from this scheme which is around 83% of total PDS beneficiaries. 100% beneficiaries coverage under 1 Nation 1 Ration Card Scheme to be achieved till 31 March 2020.
One Nation One Ration Card Apply Online Format
In order to achieve the aim of national portability, it is necessary that ration cards issued by different states and union territories conform to a standard format. Accordingly, a format for standardised ration card has been prepared for issue of ration card under the NFSA. The state governments are advised to use this new format whenever the states decides to issue new ration cards under One Nation One Ration Card Scheme. The important features of One Nation One Ration Card Apply Online Format are as follows:-
- This new format will include the required minimum details of the ration card holder and states can add more details as per their requirement.
- For national portability, the state governments have been asked to issue the ration card in bi-lingual format. There can be usage of local language in addition to any other language (either hindi or english).
- One Nation One Ration Card Apply Online Form will comprise of 10-digit standard ration card number. Out of these, the first 2 digits would correspond to state code while the next 2 digits would be running ration card numbers.
- Besides these 4 digits, a set of another 2 digits will be appended with ration card number to create unique member IDs for each member of the household in a ration card.
One Nation One Ration Card by Central Govt.
Under the One Nation One Ration Card initiative, eligible beneficiaries would be able to avail their entitled foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from any Fair Price Shop in the country using the same ration card. National portability of Ration cards will ensure all beneficiaries especially the migrants in getting access to Public Distribution System (PDS) across the nation. So the Narendra Modi govt. is working towards the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme.
PDS is creating a central repository of Ration Cards to help national level de-duplication. People would get their quota of food grains from any PDS shop located nearby them in any district across the nation. Ration Card holders would not be tied to any of the PDS shop and thus would reduce their dependence on shop owners. The biggest beneficiaries would be migrant labourers who moves to other states to seek better job opportunities and will ensure their food security.
Digitization of ration card i.e linking of ration card with aadhar card is an essential process. The availability of PoS (Point of Sale) machines need to be ensured at all PDS shops to implement the 1 Nation 1 Ration Card scheme. The central govt. has set a target to complete the formalities of scheme within 1 year. Around 78% of Fair Price Shops (FPS) have so far been automated by installing electronic PoS devices.
IMPDS system is already applicable in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura. Here people get rashan on subsidy from any district in state. Department of Food and Public Distribution is a lifeline for beneficiaries. Under this department, 612 lakh tonnes of food grains is stored in warehouses of CWC, SWC, FCI and private godowns and is distributed to 81 crore people annually. Under the NFSA, about 75 crore beneficiaries have been covered so far against the target of 81.35 crore people.
Other Initiatives along with Digitization of Ration Card in India
The central govt. is also working on some other initiatives along with the digitization of ration cards in India which are as follows:-
- Effective implementation of National Food Security Act
- End to end computerization
- Transparency in storage and distribution of foodgrains
- Synergising of all SWC, FCI and CWC depots with Depot Online System (DOS)
Information Technology must be used right from the time of purchase of foodgrains till distribution to increase overall efficiency.