IMPDS Scheme: One Nation One Ration Card for All

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
• Scheme Type: National Scheme
• Covered States: The One Nation One Ration Card scheme covers all states across India, including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.

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 Nation 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 IMPDS Integrated Management of Public Distribution System

• This IMPDS ONORC 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.
• One Nation One Ration Scheme will benefit 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 for One Nation One Ration Card?

Step 1: Visit the Respective State/UT food portals to complete the IMPDS registration online.

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 for IMPDS

• 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 to apply for the IMPDS ration card.

Conclusion

ONORC 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. 

Want to know how the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) can empower farmers? Click here for more information.