One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS) is a scheme that is being implemented by the department of nation-wide portability of ration cards under the National Food Security Act(NFSA). With the help of this scheme, all eligible ration card holders /beneficiaries who are covered under NFSA can get access from anywhere in the country.

In 2019, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution piloted this title of ONORCS in four states. Later, on January 1, 2020, twelve more states were added to this scheme. Later on, twelve more states were added to this scheme on January 1 2020. 

Another recent change regarded to this is to food security and migrant workers. With this in this scheme, beneficiaries can lift their entitled foodgrains from any electronic point of sale (ePoS), enabling FPS in-country through portability. “Portability gives them that choice while also allowing the family to return home to draw the remainder of the eligible ration,” the Indian government explained.

Characteristics of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

Some of the main attributes of ONORCS are:-

• Existing ration cards will be replaced by one nation, one ration card.
• It will be a universal ration card distributed to all NFSA-registered beneficiaries.
• Beneficiaries of the one nation, one ration card who migrate from one location to another can purchase subsidized food grains from the fair price shop located in the city’s destination, regardless of their origin.
• Through this, the beneficiary will be identified through biometric authentication on the electronic point of sale devices. These devices are installed on all fair price shops.
• The aadhar card will be linked with ration cards, which will help beneficiaries access subsidized food grains inter-district.

The objective of the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

The purposes of ONORCS will bring the following changes:-

• It brought reform in the public distribution system.
• Access has been given to each beneficiary.
• Integrating into all Indian states and UTs in the scheme by March 2021.

Features of the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

• IT is being implemented under the Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS).
• Under this scheme, around sixty-five crore beneficiaries are benefited from this scheme.
• Approximately 80% of beneficiaries registered under the NFSA have been covered under the plan.
• Twenty-five states and Union Territories have been hidden in this scheme.

Benefits of the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

Some of the significant benefits of the one nation one ration card is as follows:-

• Those eligible for this scheme will receive subsidized food grain from any fair price shop in the country.
• This scheme will immensely benefit migrants staying in different parts of the country.
• People will be able to get the same fair rations in other states where the ration card has been assigned with the help of this scheme.
• In case of fraud/ foul play, a beneficiary can switch to an alternative FPS immediately.

Challenges regarding the Implementation of the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

• Exclusion Error: Although leakages could be reduced once the PDS processes were digitised via smart cards and Aadhar linking, there have recently been exclusion errors following Aadhar linking.
• Data Scarcity: There is a data scarcity on the population moving to other cities to work. As a result, identifying the beneficiaries becomes difficult as they move to different locations.

FAQ’s on One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)