One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

1. It is a national ration card portability scheme aimed at ensuring food security for all, including internal migrants within India. 

1. The scheme allows migrant workers and their families to access PDS benefits from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country, ensuring food security under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). 

1. A Fair Price Shop (FPS) is a public ration store licensed under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. 

1. Ration card details and entitlements are accessible online through ePoS devices nationwide, thereby supporting both inter-State and intra-State portability of ration cards. 

1. Assam became the 36th State or UT to implement the ONORC scheme, making food security portable across all 36 States and Union Territories. 

1. The government launched the "MERA RATION" mobile app to maximize the benefits of the ONORC scheme and provides real-time information in 13 languages. 

1. According to the National Food Security Portal, over 20 crore ration cards have been issued, and more than 4.5 lakh POS-enabled Fair Price Shops are operational across the country.

Objectives of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme 

The objectives of ONORC scheme are mentioned below: 

1. Empower NFSA beneficiaries to achieve self-reliance (AtmaNirbhar) and ensure their food security anywhere in the country through ration card portability. 

1. Allow beneficiaries to seamlessly access their entitled subsidized food grains, either in part or full, from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice. 

1. Enable family members to procure the balance or required quantity of food grains using the same ration card from an FPS of their choice, either at their native place or any other location.

Salient Features of ONORC 

The salient features of ONORC are given below: 

1. Encourages migrants to be self-reliant for their food security through this technology-driven initiative 

1. To claim ration, carry either Aadhar, ration card or any of the two numbers to the FPS dealer. 

1. Entitlements are available online from Home State on ePoS device of chosen FPS. 

1. You can claim your foodgrains, after Aadhar based authentication of identity.

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme Progress Highlights

Here are the main progress points of the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme since its launch:

1. The One Nation One Ration Card scheme was initially planned for a nationwide rollout by 1 June 2020. 

1. Approximately 65 crore beneficiaries, or 80% of the total NFSA population in these regions were covered by national portability of ration cards which was enabled across 24 States or UTs by 1 August 2020. 

1. The remaining 12 States or UTs were integrated into the scheme by March 2021 by the Department of Food and Public Distribution. 

1. Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed during the Union Budget 2021 announcement that the scheme was operational in 32 States and UTs, benefiting about 69 crore individuals. 

1. As of that announcement, the scheme had reached 86% of eligible beneficiaries, with the remaining four States or UTs set to be integrated soon. 

1. By 11 March 2021, 17 States and UTs had successfully implemented inter-state portability of ration cards under the NFSA. 

Eligibility

All qualified ration cardholders or beneficiaries covered by the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 can use the One Nation One Ration Card.

Process to Apply for One Nation One Ration card

The process to apply for ONORC through offline mode is given below: 

1. To access benefits, provide ration card details at the nearest Fair Price Shop. 

1. Using the Aadhaar number or ration card number, the recipients can visit any Fair Price Shop across the country. 

1. Any family member with Aadhaar linked to the ration card will be eligible for authentication and ration collection. 

1. For Aadhaar verification, the beneficiaries can authenticate their identity using either iris or fingerprint. 

The online process to apply for ONORC is given below. 

1. To register as a new user, beneficiaries must visit the official National Food Security Portal at https://nfsa.gov.in/sso/frmSSOUserRegistration.aspx. 

1. To check the status of their ration card, beneficiaries can log in at https://nfsa.gov.in/sso/frmPublicLogin.aspx. 

1. For additional features, individuals can download the "Mera Ration" mobile application, and the features are: 

1. Registration. 

1. Locating the nearest Fair Price Shops. 

1. Tracking transactions. 

1. Viewing eligibility criteria. 

1. Seeding Aadhar.

Required Documents

To apply for the One Nation One Ration Card scheme, an individual needs only two documents:

• Aadhar Card

• Ration Card

Advantages of Using the Mera Ration App for ONORC

The Mera Ration App helps people to access the One Nation One Ration Card scheme more easily and smoothly. The various benefits of the app are as follows:

1. The app helps people to get ration from any shop in India, especially useful for those who move to different states.

1. It shows nearby ration shops using your phone’s location.

1. You can see your past ration purchases anytime on the app.

1. The app tells you how much food you are allowed to take each month.

1. It prevents fraud by using Aadhaar to verify your identity.

1. Migrant workers can register their movement to keep getting ration smoothly.

1. The app is available in multiple languages, which makes it user friendly.

List of States Integrated with One Nation One Ration Card Portability

The ONORC was officially launched on 9 August 2019 in four states and later 17 more states joined in to implement this initiative. The list of states and union territories that integrated with this scheme are given below: 

1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Gujarat
3. Goa
4. Jharkhand
5. Haryana
6. Kerala
7. Madhya Pradesh
8. Karnataka
9. Rajasthan
10. Maharashtra
11. Tripura
12. Uttar Pradesh
13. Telangana
14. Bihar
15. Himachal Pradesh
16. Punjab
17. Dadra & Nagar Haveli
18. Daman & Diu
19. Odisha
20. Mizoram
21. Nagaland

1. Sikkim 

1. Jammu and Kashmir 

1. Uttarakhand 

1. Ladakh 

1. Lakshadweep 

1. Arunachal Pradesh 

1. Tamil Nadu 

1. Manipur 

Goa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura are part of ONORC Scheme from 1 June 2020.

To conclude, the step taken by the government to introduce the One Nation One Ration Card is beneficial for the migrant workers and their families who travel to other states for work.

Major Issues Faced by the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme 

The major challenges faced by the One Nation One Ration Card scheme are as follows: 

1. Different State Policies: Different states have different prices of food, rules, and policies which make it hard to implement one uniform system across the country. 

1. Need for Aadhaar Linking: The scheme requires Aadhaar linking of all the ration cards, but there are some areas in which there is a poor internet connection. Due to this, it becomes difficult to complete the linking process and verify identities. 

1. Biometric Challenges: There are mismatches of fingerprints mostly in the laborers and workers because of worn-out or damaged fingers due to hard physical work. 

1. Lack of Migrant Data: States do not have proper data on migrant workers and their families, which affects planning and food grain supply in high-migration areas. 

Benefits of the One Nation One Ration Card

The benefits of the One Nation One Ration Card are mentioned below: 

1. Benefits for Beneficiaries: The scheme digitizes the ration card, thereby benefiting approximately 81 crore NFSA beneficiaries. 

1. Portability of Ration Cards: Beneficiaries, especially migrants, can claim full or partial food grains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) nationwide by biometric or Aadhaar authentication using their existing ration card. 

1. Interstate Access: Allows the beneficiaries to access their entitlements in any state, irrespective of where their ration card was issued. 

1. Food Security for Migrant Workers: Ensures the food security of migrant laborers who shift to different cities to seek better job opportunities. 

1. Improved Identification: Enhances the mechanism to detect and eliminate fake or duplicate ration cards. 

1. Universal Access: Provides migrant workers with universal access to Public Distribution System (PDS) food grains. 

1. Technology Integration: Equipping each FPS with electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices and using IT-driven system to achieve portability. 

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): Supports the achievement of SDG 2, to ensure eliminating hunger by 2030.