ONORC Scheme- Get Your Ration from Any State, How?
ONORC Scheme: Big news for Ration beneficiary. Under the central government’s “One Nation One Ration Card” (ONORC) initiative, eligible individuals can now pick up their rations from any nearby ration shop across the country. This means that rations are no longer restricted to your home district or state. The government states that this facility aims to ensure that people have access to rations regardless of their location, so they don’t lose their entitlements even if they move.
What is the ONORC scheme?
The One Nation, One Ration Card system enables ration card holders to travel anywhere in the country to collect their rations. This scheme also supports beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). It removes the hassle of having to repeatedly apply for new ration cards or go through other related processes.
The government assures that even if someone resides in a different city or state for work, studies, or other reasons, they will not encounter any issues in obtaining rations. They just need to present their ration card and can collect their rations from the nearest ration shop. This will greatly enhance convenience for the people.
Relief for migrant workers
Millions of individuals in the country live away from their homes for job opportunities. In the past, these individuals faced numerous challenges in accessing rations, but with the ONORC scheme, they can now obtain rations from wherever they reside. This has simplified the process of delivering food grains to families in need. The Government of India has initiated a pilot program for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Digital Food Currency in Gujarat. This program was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alongside Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Sh. Pralhad Joshi, and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Sh. Bhupendra Patel, as well as Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Smt. Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya.
During the event, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi highlighted that the introduction of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) within the Public Distribution System (PDS) represents a major step forward in promoting transparency, efficiency, and empowering beneficiaries within India’s food security framework. While launching the CBDC-based Digital Food Currency pilot in Gujarat, he pointed out that India’s PDS, which is the largest food distribution system globally serving over 80 crore beneficiaries, is continuously advancing through technology-driven reforms. With the slogan “Har Dana, Har Rupiya, Har Adhikar,” the Minister stated that this initiative will raise awareness about entitlements, simplify access, and enhance accountability in the distribution of subsidized foodgrains.
Shri Joshi explained that under the CBDC framework, digital coupons created by the Reserve Bank of India will be directly credited to beneficiaries as programmable digital currency (e₹). Beneficiaries will be able to redeem their entitled amount of foodgrains at Fair Price Shops (FPS) using CBDC coupon or voucher codes. This system aims to resolve issues related to biometric authentication and e-POS operations while ensuring secure, traceable, and real-time transactions. He also mentioned that the pilot program will soon be extended to the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Puducherry, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.