IMPDS scheme has brought a lot of relief to farmers, migrant workers and labourers. The scheme is implemented by the Department of Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, in association with State/UT Governments for transparent and smooth Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country. Presently, the system is better known as ‘One Nation One Ration Card’(ONORC) plan. The main objective of the scheme is to introduce nation-wide portability of ration card holders to lift food grains from any fair price shop (FPS) across the country.
Scheme Overview
- Scheme Name: Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (One Nation One Ration Card scheme)
- Scheme Implemented: 2018
- Scheme has been extended till: 31st March 2023
- Scheme Fund Allocated: Rs. 127.3 Crore for implementation in all states/UTs for a period of two years
- Type of Government Scheme: Central Sector Scheme
- Sponsored / Sector scheme: Ministry of Consumer affairs, Food and Public Distribution
- Website to apply: Respective State Websites
- Helpline No: 14445
Features of IMPDS
The IMPDS system is implemented with technical support from the National Informatics Centre.
| CATEGORY | REMARKS |
| Aim | To give Grains, Pulses, Sugar, Kerosene etc., at Subsidized Rates |
| Total outlay | Rs. 127.3 Crore for implementation in all states/UTs for a period of two years |
| Validity of the Scheme | 31st March 2023 |
| Benefits Provided Under | National Food Security Act (NFSA) |
| Who can benefit | Labourers, daily-wagers, rag-pickers, street-dwellers, temporary workers, domestic workers etc. |
| Ration Made Available Through | Electronic Point of Sale (e-pos) & Fair Price Shops |
Latest News about the Scheme
Recently, Assam has become the 36th State to implement One Nation One Ration Card scheme. The ONORC plan has been implemented successfully in all 36 States and Union Territories, making food security portable throughout the country.
Benefits of Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (PDS)
- This scheme will bring more transparency and efficiency in the distribution of food grains.
- Using biometric/Aadhar authentication, NFSA beneficiaries particularly migrant beneficiaries can claim their foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country.
- It will improve the mechanism to identify fake/duplicate ration cards and ensures food security of migrant labourers who move to other states to seek better job opportunities.
- This system can reduce fraudulence, because the fundamental prerequisite of this scheme is deduplication.
- The scheme will be benefited to women and other poorer sections of the society since social identity will be a strong factor in accessing PDS.
- This system will also reduce the hunger deaths in the country and improve India’s rank in the Global Hunger Index Ranking.
Challenges of One Nation One Ration Card
India still has the low internet penetration rate, which restricts ONORC’s reliable functioning. Underorganized labourers who are poor migrants rely mostly on domestic work which may create a ruckus in times of Bio-metric match as the fingerprints shall differ more frequently.
How to apply?
Step 1: Visit the Respective State/UT food portals
Step 2: Browse the homepage and click on “New Ration Card Request” to register
Step 3: To apply for NPHH Ration Card, Click on Non-Priority Household (NPHH) option
Step 4: Enter the Aadhar Number and Mobile Number (Registered in Aadhar) & select One Time Password to Mobile Number registered with the Aadhar option and click on Go Button
Step 5: Enter the OTP received from Aadhaar and Captcha & click on Go Button
Step 6: On successful verification of the OTP and Captcha, details like Name, Date of Birth, Gender and Photo as it is in Aadhar will be displayed.
Step 7: If Aadhar details are correct, click on Add Button, so that Application Number will be generated.
Step 8: After this, select the Address for Ration Card by clicking the checkbox. For Urban Area select City and then Ward No.& Area. For Rural Area select panchayat. Based on the pin code of the selected address area and Fair Price Shop will be auto selected.
Step 9: Then select eldest female member greater than 18 years as HOF (Head of the Family), if not select the eldest male member as HOF.
Step 10: After selecting the HOF, the relationship of the remaining members with HOF has to be assigned by clicking select Button for the members and then click on Save Button.
Step 11: Select Yes/No for willing to draw ration
Step 12: If the details in the specimen copy is correct, then proceed to generate Ration Card by clicking on Generate RC Button and take the printout of RC copy by clicking on Print Button.
Documents Required
- An official ID issued by Government of India such as Aadhar Card/Voter ID card etc.
- Residence Certificate
- Passport Size Photographs
- Bank passbook of the applicant
- Income Certificate
- Copy of existing ration card if the candidate is a migrant from other state.
Conclusion
One Nation One Ration Card scheme is a far-reaching reform of the public distribution ecosystem since the Food Security Act. It will help in the livelihood of jobless migrants from various states and to achieve the target set under 2nd Sustainable Development Goal, which aims in Ending hunger by 2030.
