One Nation, One Ration Card: Eligibility, Launch Date, Objectives and Benefits

'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme was launched in four states on pilot basis in 2019 by the Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan. This card will enable migrant workers to get cheap food grains with one ration card across the country.

As per the reports of the Ministry of Home (MHA), there are 4 crore migrant workers in India. During the current lockdown situation, 75 lakh workers (35 lakh by trains+40 lac by buses) have returned home so far.

These migrant workers travel every year from UP, Bihar, MP to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Punjab etc. These migrants have an old history of traveling in search of jobs or livelihood.

So the Government of India has launched an ambitious project of ‘one nation and one ration card’ for these migrant workers. Now let us know about the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme.

What is 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had earlier implemented the pilot project of 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme in four states in the year 2019. From 01 January 2020, One Nation, One Ration Card Scheme was implemented in 12 states across India.

These include; Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka,Telangana, Rajasthan, Kerala,Tripura, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh .

The central government has prepared a standard format for ration cards which has been named as 'One Nation, One Ration Card Scheme'. Under this scheme, any citizen residing in the country will be able to get cheaper food grains from the public distribution system shops (PDS shops) throughout the country.

After its implementation, there will be only one type of ration card in the entire country.

Objectives of the 'One Nation, One Ration Card Scheme:- The basic objective of this scheme is to provide adequate food grains to the poor sections of the country across the country at very meager rates.

Eligibility for the 'One Nation, One Ration Card Scheme:-

The worker, who is declared as the Below Poverty Line (BPL) in the respective states/UTs will be eligible to get the benefit of this scheme across the country.

Know full details about 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme in these 5 points;

1. No need to get a new Ration card:-There is no need to get a new ration card to avail benefits of this PDS scheme. Under this scheme, all previous ration cardholders across the country will be able to get cheaper food grains from the Public Distribution System shops in any corner of the country.

2. Beneficiaries Verification:- The beneficiaries of this PDS scheme will be identified on the basis of their Aadhar based identification through the electronic point of sale (PoS) device. All the PDS shops will have the facility of electronic point of sale (PoS) device. 

State which has 100% PoS machines at PDS shops, will be included in the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme.

Around 77% % of the PDS shops across the country have PoS machines and around 85% of people covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) have their cards linked to Aadhaar.

3. Langauge in the One nation one ration card:- Currently, Indian states have different formats and languages in the ration card. But Now all the states will follow a standard format. The state governments have been requested to issue the ration card in bi-lingual format, wherein besides the local language, the other language could be English or Hindi.

4. The standard digit in the ration card:- Ration card of a new format will have a 10-digit standard ration card number. The first two digits of the ration card will be state code and the next two digits will be running ration card numbers.
while another two digits will be used to generate unique member IDs for each beneficiary of the ration card.

5. Any Indian can apply:- Any legal citizen of India can apply for this ration card. Children under 18 years of age will be added to their parents' ration cards. 

6. Foodgrains at the cheapest rate:- Under the scheme, every BPL family gets 35 Kg. food grains In Western Districts - (20 Kgs Rice and 15 Kgs Wheat), in Eastern Districts - (25 Kg Rice and 10 Kg Wheat) each month at a fixed price. The price of wheat is Rs. 3 per Kg. and rice at Rs. 2 per Kg.

Benefits of 'One Nation, One Ration Card Scheme:-

1. This scheme will ensure availability of the sufficient food grains to those poor workers who migrate from their home district.

2. It will reduce the practice of black marketing at the PDS shops. Currently, the PDS shop owner sells these food grains in the market in the absence of the actual beneficiaries. 

3. It will reduce the incidence of hunger death in the country which will further Improve the Indian rank in the Global Hunger Index ranking.

So this was the up to date information about the 'One Nation, One Ration Card Scheme. We hope this scheme will show very positive results very soon.