One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)
The One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS) is a scheme launched by the Government of India that aims to provide food security to all citizens, regardless of their location within the country. The scheme is intended to ensure that all eligible citizens have access to subsidized food grains through the Public Distribution System (PDS) regardless of their place of residence or migration.
The scheme was announced in 2019 by the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, and was launched on June 1, 2020. The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Ministry of Rural Development.
The scheme aims to provide a universal and portable ration card system that will enable beneficiaries to access PDS benefits from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) in the country. This will provide a major boost to the food security of migrants, who often face difficulties in accessing PDS benefits due to lack of local ration card.
Under ONORCS, the existing ration cards are being converted into National Portability Ration Cards (NPRC) which can be used to purchase food grains from any FPS across the country. This will help to ensure that the food security of migrants is not affected by their migration. The scheme also aims to increase transparency and accountability in the PDS by using digital technology to track and monitor the distribution of food grains.
The scheme is being implemented in two phases. In the first phase, the existing ration cards are being converted into NPRCs and the beneficiaries are being linked to Aadhaar. In the second phase, the existing PDS system will be digitized and integrated with the NPRC system. This will enable real-time tracking of food grains from the point of purchase to the point of delivery, and will also enable the use of digital payment systems for the purchase of food grains.
The scheme has been implemented in several states across the country, and has received a positive response from the beneficiaries. Many people have reported that they are now able to access PDS benefits from any FPS in the state, and that the process of purchasing food grains has become more efficient and transparent.
However, the scheme has also faced some challenges. One major challenge has been the lack of digital infrastructure in many parts of the country, which has made it difficult to implement the digitization of the PDS system. Another challenge has been the lack of awareness among the beneficiaries about the scheme and how to use the NPRC.
One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)
To address these challenges, the government has launched an awareness campaign to educate the beneficiaries about the scheme and how to use the NPRC. The government has also announced plans to improve the digital infrastructure in the country to support the implementation of the scheme.
Overall, the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme is an ambitious and much-needed initiative that aims to provide food security to all citizens, regardless of their location. The scheme has the potential to greatly benefit the food security of migrants and to increase transparency and accountability in the PDS. However, the scheme also faces some challenges, and the government must take steps to address these challenges in order to ensure the successful implementation of the scheme.