The central government has issued new rules regarding ration cards. According to the notification issued by the center, from now on, it will be mandatory to do e-KYC of the card every 5 years. If it is not done, then the card will be suspended.
The central government has said that from now on, it will be mandatory to do e-KYC of ration cards. For this, e-KYC will have to be done every 5 years. If any ration card holder fails to do this, then his card will be suspended and he will not get the benefit of free food grains.
The government says that the rule of doing electronic KYC every 5 years has been introduced to bring transparency in the ration card system. Its objective is to stop fake ration cards and fraud and provide free food grains to the right beneficiaries. It is worth noting that the Modi government has extended the free food grains scheme under the Public Distribution System (PDS) till 2029, through which about 80 crore people of the country are benefiting.
New Rules for Ration Cards
The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has issued a new notification. As per the rules, all states must conduct e-KYC of ration card holders every five years. The aim is to stop duplicate ration cards and remove people who misuse the system. With regular e-KYC, ineligible names will be removed, and free food grains will reach eligible families.
Age Limit for Getting a Ration Card
According to the new rule, ration cards can now be made only after a person turns 18. Anyone below 18 years will not be allowed to hold a ration card. This means only adults (18+) will get subsidies through ration cards.
For children below 5 years, an Aadhaar card must be submitted. After the child turns 5, e-KYC must be completed within one year.
When Can a Ration Card Be Closed?
If a ration card holder does not take food grains for six months, the card will be suspended. The suspension will be temporary, and the card can be reactivated later.
States have been told to finish e-KYC within three months. If a person has ration cards in two different states, one of them will be closed. Cardholders will get three months to submit documents, complete e-KYC, and activate the card.
New Application System
The government will now follow a “first come, first served” rule for issuing ration cards. States must also publish a waiting list on their portal so applicants can check the status easily.