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One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

Madhavi Gaur September 29, 2023 12:32 4019 0

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS) is a nationwide initiative implemented by the Department of Portability of Ration Cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS): Why in News?

Assam has recently joined the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) initiative, marking its implementation in all 36 States/Union Territories (State/UT). This achievement signifies the successful nationwide execution of the ONORC program, establishing portable food security across the entire country.

Additionally, the government has introduced the ‘MERA RATION’ mobile application to maximize the benefits of the ONORC plan. This app delivers valuable real-time information to beneficiaries and is accessible in 13 languages.

Over the last two years amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the ONORC plan has played a crucial role in ensuring the availability of subsidized foodgrains to beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). This has been particularly beneficial for migrant beneficiaries, highlighting the program’s positive impact during challenging times.

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)
One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

The One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS) is a nationwide initiative implemented by the Department of Portability of Ration Cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). This scheme allows all eligible ration card holders and beneficiaries covered under NFSA to access their entitlements from any part of the country.

Introduced as a pilot project in four states in 2019, the ONORCS expanded its coverage to twelve more states on January 1, 2020. A significant feature of this scheme is its relevance to food security and migrant workers. Beneficiaries can now procure their entitled food grains from any Electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) facility, facilitating portability within the country. This offers beneficiaries the flexibility to draw their ration from any location, providing a choice for migrant families to access their entitled ration even when they return to their home location.

About One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution initiated a pilot project called the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme in four states in 2019, with an additional twelve states joining on January 1, 2020. The Central Government reported an inclusion of about 86% of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the One Nation One Ration Card plan.

A recent modification in the scheme addresses the food security concerns of migrant workers. Beneficiaries can now collect their entitled foodgrains from any Electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) enabled Fair Price Shop (FPS) in the country through portability, providing them with the flexibility to choose while allowing their families to access the remainder of the eligible ration back home.

As of the latest update, the nationwide rollout of the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme is now complete with Assam implementing the ONORC scheme. The scheme covers all 36 states and union territories, ensuring portable food security throughout the country. Subsidized food grains worth Rs. 40,000 crore have been delivered to beneficiaries through portability. Since the launch of ONORC, 710 million portable transactions have taken place, benefiting 436 million under NFSA and 278 million under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyana Anna (PMGKAY) transactions.

Additionally, the ‘Mera Ration’ mobile application has been introduced under the ONORC plan, providing real-time information to beneficiaries in 13 languages.

Characteristics of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS)

  1. Replacement of existing ration cards with a universal ration card applicable to all NFSA-registered beneficiaries.
  2. Portability for beneficiaries migrating to different locations, enabling the purchase of subsidized food grains from fair price shops in their destination city.
  3. Identification of beneficiaries through biometric authentication on ePoS devices installed in all fair price shops.
  4. Aadhar card linkage with ration cards for accessing subsidized food grains across districts.

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

  1. Reformation of the public distribution system.
  2. Ensuring access to every eligible beneficiary.
  3. Integration of all Indian states and Union Territories into the scheme by March 2021.

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

  1. Implementation under the Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS).
  2. Approximately sixty-five crore beneficiaries benefiting from the scheme.
  3. Coverage of around 80% of NFSA-registered beneficiaries.
  4. Inclusion of twenty-five states and Union Territories in the scheme.
  5. A helpline number to assist beneficiaries will be introduced.

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

  1. Subsidized food grains accessible from any Fair Price Shop in the country.
  2. Significant advantages for migrants across different regions.
  3. Uniform access to fair rations in other states where the ration card is assigned.
  4. Immediate switching to an alternative FPS in case of fraud or foul play.
  5. Enhanced social identity factors for women and other marginalized sections.
  6. Contributes to achieving the goal of eliminating hunger by 2030 (Global Hunger Index ranking: 102 out of 117).

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

  1. Exclusion Error: Aadhar linking has resulted in exclusion errors, impacting beneficiaries.
  2. Data Scarcity: Challenges in identifying beneficiaries due to limited data on the population moving to different cities for work.
  3. Domicile-Based Social Sector Schemes: Historic domicile-based access restricting welfare and entitlements at places of origin.

The One Nation One Ration Card Scheme strives to enhance the efficiency and inclusivity of the public distribution system while addressing challenges to ensure seamless access to subsidized food grains for all eligible beneficiaries across the nation.

Significance of ONORC

  1. Enabling Right to Food

    • Previously, ration cardholders could only access subsidized food grains under the National Food Security Act from designated Fair Price Shops (FPS) within their state.
    • Shifting to another state required applying for a new ration card, hindering the right to food.
    • ONORC eliminates this geographical barrier, promoting social justice.
  2. Supporting One-Third of Population

    • About 37% of the population comprises migrant laborers, making ONORC crucial for those relocating.
  3. Reducing Leakages

    • ONORC can minimize leakages by ensuring deduplication, preventing a person from being listed as a beneficiary in two different locations.
    • Aadhaar and biometrics integration reduces corruption possibilities.
  4. Reducing Social Discrimination

    • Beneficial for women and disadvantaged groups, ONORC addresses social identity factors influencing access to the Public Distribution System (PDS).

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme Associated Challenges

Exclusion Error

  • Despite efforts to reduce leakages through Aadhaar-linked processes, exclusion errors have risen, affecting those without Aadhaar.

Domicile-Based Social Sector Schemes

  • Historic schemes based on domicile hindered access to social security, welfare, and food entitlements at individuals’ places of origin.

Disrupting Supplies at FPS

  • ONORC may disrupt Fair Price Shops as some cater to more cards due to migration, while others serve fewer.

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme Performance

  • A citizen-centric initiative covering 80 Crore beneficiaries, initiated in August 2019.
  • Since 2019, 71 Crore portable transactions, delivering about Rs. 40,000 Crore in food subsidy through portability.
  • A monthly average of 3 Crore portable transactions, offering NFSA and PMGKAY food grains with flexibility.

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme Way Forward

  • Explore alternate delivery channels during emergencies.
  • Extend ONORC to include portability of services like Integrated Child Development, Mid-Day Meals, immunization, and healthcare.
  • Long-term consideration for a fool-proof food coupon system or direct benefit transfer to replace the PDS system.

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORCS) UPSC

The One Nation One Ration Card scheme is an integral component of Government Policies and Interventions outlined in the UPSC Syllabus. Given the frequent inclusion of questions related to government schemes in the Civil Services Exam, aspirants are required to possess a comprehensive understanding of the objectives, implementation, and outcomes of such initiatives. IAS Exam candidates are strongly advised to thoroughly review the ONORC UPSC Notes, ensuring a profound grasp of all essential aspects related to this scheme to enhance their preparation effectively.

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One Nation One Ration Card Scheme FAQs

To address the issue of food security, the Indian government implemented the One Nation One Ration Card scheme (ONORC). This initiative enables beneficiaries to avail their food entitlements from any location in India, regardless of the location where their ration card is registered.

The complete implementation of the One Nation One Ration Card has the potential to significantly disrupt Fair Price Shops (FPS). Certain FPS may be required to handle a greater volume of ration cards than others, potentially causing chaos for these shops. Additionally, the digitization of the ONORC scheme, while aiming for efficiency, may encounter technical errors, considering the historical limitations associated with digital processes in India.

The One Nation One Card Policy specifically targets the migrating population within the country. It operates on the principle that the advantages of food security should be accessible and transferable across all regions of the nation.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution is conducting a week-long series of events to commemorate the "One Nation One Ration Card" (ONORC) Scheme, which was initiated on August 9, 2019, as a pilot project in four states.

The One Nation One Ration Card initiative was initiated to enable inter-State portability of ration cards in four States starting from August 2019. As of February 2022, 35 states/Union Territories have successfully implemented this scheme.
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