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Introduction

SMART-PDS (Scheme for Modernization and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution System) is a technology-driven initiative by the Indian government to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), ensuring that food grains reach the intended beneficiaries in a timely and efficient manner.

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Salient features of the recently introduced Smart-PDS scheme

• Digitization: It introduces a complete digitization of the PDS. This means that all data regarding transactions, beneficiary details, and inventory statuses are recorded and managed digitally. For example, a beneficiary can now check their entitlements and status online instantly.
• Biometric Authentication: To ensure that the benefits reach the intended recipients, the scheme uses biometric data linked to Aadhaar numbers for authentication. This can be done using fingerprints or iris scans at the PDS shops.
• Portability of Ration Cards: it allows beneficiaries to receive their entitlements from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country. If a family moves to a different city for work, they can still access their rations without applying for a new card.
• Real-time Monitoring: The government now has the ability to monitor PDS operations in real-time. Any delay in grain transportation from the godown to the local FPS can be identified and rectified swiftly.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): In some regions, the scheme provides an option to receive the subsidy amount directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. For example, a beneficiary could opt for DBT and purchase grains from a local market.

Potential of Smart-PDS in overhauling the present PDS system

• Eliminating Corruption: The Smart-PDS scheme’s digital structure and biometric authentication can curb corruption and pilferage, a prevalent issue in the traditional PDS. Eg: grains meant for beneficiaries can no longer be siphoned off undetected by corrupt intermediaries. Example- In the existing PDS structure, large amounts of grains (40 to 50 percent) being pilfered and diverted to open market.
• Precision Targeting: The scheme ensures that benefits reach only the rightful beneficiaries, eliminating fake or ghost beneficiaries. For example, previously, multiple cards were issued to a single household, but with Smart-PDS, such duplications can be prevented. Example- More than 47 million bogus ration cards have been cancelled between 2013 and 2021 following seeding of Aadhaar cards.
• Improving Accountability: With all transactions recorded and monitored, the scheme enhances accountability. For example, fair price shop owners, who were previously accountable to only a few government officials, are now accountable to the entire system.
  
• Ease of Access: Digital platforms provide easy access and convenience to beneficiaries. For example, a person with a disability can check their entitlements and the availability of grains from home, reducing the need to visit a fair price shop multiple times.
• Improved Grievance Redressal: The availability of a digital record of transactions and entitlements accelerates and improves the resolution of complaints. If a family doesn’t receive their full entitlement, they can lodge a complaint online and expect a faster resolution due to available data.

Broader implications of Smart-PDS for socio-economic development in India

• Enhanced Food Security: By ensuring that the right beneficiary receives the allocated rations, it enhances food security, a fundamental element of social welfare. For instance, this ensures that a low-income family consistently receives their share of food grains.
• Poverty Alleviation: By streamlining the distribution of subsidized food grains, the scheme directly contributes to poverty alleviation. Access to affordable food frees up resources for the poor, enabling them to spend on education, healthcare, or starting a small business.
• Encouraging Digital Literacy: The need to interact with a digital system to access their entitlements could indirectly boost digital literacy. This can have a ripple effect, enabling individuals to leverage digital platforms for various other aspects like online learning, digital payments, etc.
• Boost to Economy: Money saved through reduced corruption and more efficient operations can be invested back into the economy, leading to its growth. Eg: funds saved could be directed towards infrastructure projects, generating employment and stimulating economic development.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): By addressing hunger and poverty, the scheme contributes towards achieving the United Nations’ SDGs, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

Conclusion

The Smart-PDS scheme, therefore, has extensive implications for India’s socio-economic development. By ensuring an efficient and transparent delivery of food subsidies, it not only tackles immediate concerns of food security and poverty but also indirectly contributes to larger developmental goals.

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