ZEE Business
ZEE BUSINESS
हिंदी में पढ़ें  हिंदी में पढ़ें
Live TV
Live TV
  • Home
  • Personal Finance
  • Adani Saga
  • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Global Markets
    • IPO
    • Companies
    • Currency
    • Commodities
  • My Money
  • Calculators
    • Income Tax Calculator
    • Home Loan/EMI Calculator
    • Mutual Fund Returns Calculator
    • Personal Loan Calculator
    • Car Loan Calculator
    • SIP calculator
    • Lumpsum Calculator
    • SWP Calculator
  • Videos
    • M Se Market
    • Jeb Zindagi Zaroorat
    • Light Camera Stocks
    • Tech Takes
    • Big Bulls Ka Nishana
    • Paisa Wasool
    • Commodity Ke MrityunjayMantra
    • The Right Property Show
  • Economy & Infra
    • Policy & Initiatives
    • Agriculture
    • Telecom
    • Aviation
    • Railways
    • Retail
    • Roadways
    • World Economy
  • Exclusive
    • Wealth Guide
    • Interviews
  • Auto
    • Cars
    • Bikes
    • Electric Vehicle
    • Commercial Vehicles
  • Tech
    • Mobiles
    • Gadgets
    • Reviews
    • Tips and Tricks
    • Apps
  • Real Estate
    • Home Buyers
    • Builders
  • Axis MF
  • Trending
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Sports
    • Viral
    • Education
    • Jobs
Read in App
Business News » India News

One Nation One Ration Card: 5 ways to really help PDS beneficiaries

To build upon the digitization of PDS and with a focus on beneficiary-centric reforms, the government launched a new scheme One Nation One Ration Card.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • whatapp
  • View in App
One Nation One Ration Card: 5 ways to really help PDS beneficiaries
Under ONORC, PDS beneficiaries can lift their entitled food grains from any fair price shop (FPS) across the country with their existing ration cards. Photo: PTI

One Nation One Ration Card: To build upon the digitization of the Public Distribution System (PDS) and with a focus on beneficiary-centric reforms, the government launched a new scheme – Integrated Management of PDS (IM-PDS), also known as One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), in April 2018. Recently, the Finance Minister announced that the scheme will be rolled out by March 2021. 

Under ONORC, PDS beneficiaries can lift their entitled food grains from any fair price shop (FPS) across the country with their existing ration cards. ONORC builds on the reforms under end-to-end computerization of PDS to digitize beneficiary database and supply chain mechanism, among others. 

While ONORC remains a work in progress, several states have implemented intrastate portability (within the state). Adoption of portability in a state is primarily dependent on their readiness and progress under end-to-end computerization of PDS. However, national portability will need integration of existing PDS portals of states/UTs with the central PDS portal. This means that all the states participating in interstate portability (between states) must have basic digital readiness. 

See Zee Business Live TV streaming below:

Readiness for all-India portability under PDS? 

As of January 2020, the Aadhaar details of about 83% of the beneficiaries has been seeded with their ration card details in the digital database across India. Moreover, only 89% of the total FPS across India, have been automated with the installation of an e-PoS device. Under digitized PDS, beneficiaries are provided with food grains only after their biometric authentication through Aadhaar on the e-PoS devices at the FPS. In the absence of a digital database and automated FPS, the beneficiaries will be unable to access portability.  

Moreover, before moving to interstate portability, it is also intended that the states implement intrastate portability. As of January 2020, the intrastate portability has been either partially or fully implemented only in 18 out of 36 states/UTs in India. 

In April 2020, over 11 million transactions were carried out under intrastate portability whereas, only 351 transactions were through interstate portability. The differential use of intrastate and interstate portability by beneficiaries can be attributed to low level of awareness on interstate portability facility amongst beneficiaries as well as FPS dealers, as assessed by a pilot study conducted by MicroSave Consulting in September 2019. Intrastate portability provides beneficiaries the convenience to access food grains at FPS of their choice.  

Simultaneously, FPS dealers are able to earn extra commission for an increase in the number of ration card holders uplifting food grains from their shop. While the FPS dealers receiving a lower turnout of beneficiaries, earn a lesser amount of commission. Under portability, the FPS dealers are also met with unpredictable demand, which could possibly lead to shortage of food grains as well.  

Additionally, on the operational front, most of the states follow different timelines and processes for the allocation and distribution of food grain stocks to FPS, this could act as a hindrance in the process of reconciliation and allocation of stocks. 

The way forward 

It is evident that beneficiaries have utilized intrastate portability more than interstate. However, a shift towards a national rollout of ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ will need a lot of work across participating states and at centre, for which the government will have to ensure the following: 

Fix strict timelines for digitization of PDS and Aadhaar seeding of PDS database.
Adopt the best practices from states which have effectively automated their PDS and draft guidelines on fixing the timelines for the uptake of food grains by beneficiaries, stock reconciliation, and on FPS dealers request for extra food grain stocks. 
The government should explore ways to compensate the FPS dealers through a model with a fixed and a variable component for their commission. 
Respective state governments should assess the data on intrastate portability transactions and optimize the locations of FPS. 
Awareness regarding interstate portability and its operational details should be effectively communicated to beneficiaries through SMS, posters at FPS, and imparting of information through FPS dealers. 

While adopting the above measures with regards to portability, it should further be implemented in a phased manner across India prioritizing states with high migrant population.

(Authored by Mitul Thapliyal, Partner and Abhishek Jain, Assistant Manager at MicroSave Consulting)

Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.

TAGS:
Ration cardPDSindia
Written By: ZeeBiz WebTeam
Edited By: Harish Dugh
Updated: Sat, May 23, 2020
11:38 am
New Delhi, ZeeBiz WebDesk
RELATED NEWS
Aadhaar Card Ration Card Link: Govt extends deadline till June 30 - Check online, offline procedure and documents required Aadhaar Card Ration Card Link: Govt extends deadline till June 30 - Check online, offline procedure and documents required
BIG DECISION! One Nation One Ration Card scheme to be IMPLEMENTED in Delhi, beneficiaries have to complete THIS process to get free ration from fair price shops BIG DECISION! One Nation One Ration Card scheme to be IMPLEMENTED in Delhi, beneficiaries have to complete THIS process to get free ration from fair price shops
Ration complaint number, registration, toll free helpline: Are you being cheated by the dealer? DO THIS Ration complaint number, registration, toll free helpline: Are you being cheated by the dealer? DO THIS
COVID-19: BIG DECISION! Economically weaker sections to get NFSA ration cards - Central government issues advisory COVID-19: BIG DECISION! Economically weaker sections to get NFSA ration cards - Central government issues advisory
Big boost to One Nation One Ration Card Scheme! Modi Govt grants additional borrowing permission to these two states Big boost to One Nation One Ration Card Scheme! Modi Govt grants additional borrowing permission to these two states

LATEST NEWS

Happy Chaiti Chhath Puja 2023 Wishes: The four-day festival starts today

Protests and riots intensify across France over President Macron's decision on pension reform

Paytm says upgraded payments platform with 100% indigenous technology

Intel co-founder Gordon Moore dies at 94

Twitter Blue subscription users may hide their paid check marks soon

Piyush Goyal says India aspires to take technical textiles market to $40 billion in 4-5 years

Rahul Gandhi Lok Sabha Disqualification: What legal options former Congress president has? Experts decode

Income tax: What are the 6 common tax-saving mistakes that can be avoided

Experts believe proposals in Finance Bill on debt mutual funds and securities transaction tax may adversely impact market

PM Modi in Karnataka: India will achieve ‘developed’ nation tag by 2047 with efforts of every single individual

  • India News
  • World News
  • Companies News
  • Market News
  • Personal Finance News
  • Technology News
  • Automobile News
  • Small Business News
  • Income Tax Calculator
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Author
  • Rss Feed
  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal Disclaimer

Latest Trending Updates

  • EPFO
  • Budget 2020
  • Income Tax Return
  • Auto Expo 2020
  • Home Loan
  • Business News

Trending Topics

  • Income Tax
  • income Tax Calculator
  • 7th Pay Commission
  • Reserve Bank of India
  • GST
  • Latest Business News

Follow us on

zeebiz
zeebiz

Partner Sites

  • Zee News
  • Hindi News
  • Marathi News
  • Bengali News
  • Tamil News
  • Malayalam News
  • Gujarati News
  • Telugu News
  • Kannada News
  • DNA
  • WION
© 2023. Indiadotcom Digital Private Limited. All Rights Reserved.
LIVE TV