Roadmap for Answer Writing
Introduction
- Briefly introduce the ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ (ONORC) scheme and its relevance to India’s Public Distribution System (PDS).
- Mention the target populations: vulnerable sections, especially migrant households and those with limited access to resources.
Role of ONORC in Ensuring Food Security
- Portability of PDS Benefits
- Highlight the portability aspect, enabling 67 million migrant households to access their ration entitlements from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country.
- Provide an example of how migration often hinders food security and the importance of portability in solving this issue.
- Elimination of Fake and Duplicate Ration Cards
- Discuss how Aadhaar-based biometric authentication prevents fraudulent practices, ensuring that only legitimate beneficiaries receive their rations.
- Reference data or reports that highlight fraud reduction and the efficiency gained through Aadhaar integration.
- Choice and Convenience
- Explain how ONORC allows beneficiaries to choose an FPS that offers better service, enhancing their access to essential food items.
- Provide an example of how this choice helps avoid inefficiencies or corruption at FPSs.
- Mera Ration App
- Discuss how the Mera Ration App empowers beneficiaries to access services like registration, entitlement verification, and FPS location identification.
- Mention how this increases transparency and accountability within the system.
Challenges for Successful Implementation
- Lack of Awareness
- Explain how 20% of eligible households did not know about the portability feature, limiting the scheme’s effectiveness.
- Discuss the need for greater awareness campaigns.
- Technical Issues
- Highlight the technical challenges such as slow internet speeds, device failures, and problems with biometric authentication.
- Provide data like 57% of dealers citing poor connectivity as a key issue.
- Supply Chain Challenges
- Discuss how 32% of dealers reported stockouts when dealing with portability customers, highlighting supply chain disruptions and inconsistency in ration delivery.
- Emphasize the need for periodic assessments of migration status and stock levels.
- Under-coverage and Aadhaar Seeding Issues
- Mention how the 2011 census for NFSA excludes many low-income households, leading to under-coverage.
- Talk about Aadhaar seeding issues, particularly for individuals with mismatched personal details, e.g., divorced women facing difficulties in updating their details.
Conclusion
- Summarize the benefits of ONORC, focusing on its role in ensuring food security for vulnerable populations.
- Conclude by emphasizing the need for addressing the challenges mentioned to fully realize the scheme’s potential and achieve SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030.
Relevant Facts to Include in the Answer
- 67 Million Migrant Households: Number of people benefiting from ration portability.
- Aadhaar-Based Authentication: Helps in eliminating fake ration cards, ensuring transparency.
- Mera Ration App: Used for registration, checking entitlements, and finding FPS locations.
- 20% Households Lack Awareness: About 20% of eligible households did not know they could use the portability feature.
- 57% PDS Dealers Cite Poor Connectivity: Connectivity issues affecting biometric authentication and the smooth functioning of the scheme.
- 32% PDS Dealers Report Stockouts: Highlighting challenges in meeting demand due to portability.
- 2011 Census Under-Coverage: NFSA coverage based on outdated census data, leaving out many eligible people.
- Aadhaar Seeding Issues: Particularly affecting women, such as divorced women struggling to update personal details for ration card corrections.
Model Answer
The ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ (ONORC) scheme plays a crucial role in ensuring food security for vulnerable populations in India by improving the portability and efficiency of the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Role of ONORC in Ensuring Food Security
Portability of PDS Benefits: ONORC allows over 67 million migrant households to access PDS benefits at any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country. This is especially beneficial for migrant workers and their families, who often face difficulty in accessing food entitlements due to migration.
Elimination of Fake & Duplicate Ration Cards: The scheme uses Aadhaar-based biometric authentication, which significantly reduces fraud, duplicate cards, and leakages in the system. This ensures that the rations reach the intended beneficiaries.
Choice and Convenience: Beneficiaries can choose any FPS that suits them, enabling them to avoid corrupt or inefficient dealers. This gives families flexibility and ensures that they can access their entitlements easily.
Mera Ration App: The mobile application allows beneficiaries to register online, check their entitlements, locate nearby FPSs, and verify their Aadhaar seeding status, improving accessibility and transparency.
Challenges to Successful Implementation
Lack of Awareness: Despite the benefits, 20% of eligible households did not know they could use the portability feature. This lack of awareness hampers the full potential of ONORC.
Technical Issues: The scheme relies heavily on technology, and problems like poor internet connectivity, device failure, and glitches in biometric authentication can cause inconvenience. 57% of dealers reported issues like poor connectivity, leading to refusal of service.
Supply Chain Challenges: 32% of PDS dealers reported stockouts, as the portability feature leads to an unpredictable demand at FPSs. This creates challenges in managing the supply of food grains.
Under-coverage and Aadhaar Seeding Issues: The 2011 census for NFSA eligibility excludes many low-income households, while problems with Aadhaar seeding (such as name mismatches) prevent some individuals, especially divorced women, from accessing their rations.
To achieve SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030, overcoming these challenges is crucial for ensuring the success of ONORC and securing food access for vulnerable populations.