India’s population is more than 100 crores. Even today, there are countless people in the country who find it difficult to arrange two meals a day. Such families are provided with ration at a low price or free of cost under the National Food Security Scheme of the Government of India. To take advantage of this government scheme, people must have a ration card. People who do not have a ration card are not able to take advantage of this facility.
If you are also a ration card holder, then it is very important for you to get this work done as soon as possible. Otherwise, the benefits you are getting may stop. The government has issued clear guidelines in this regard: The names of those who have not yet done e-KYC will be removed from the ration card.
The government believes that e-KYC is necessary to ensure that the benefits reach only those people who are rightfully entitled to them. Without e-KYC, there is a possibility of fraud and irregularities.
How does e-KYC work, and why is it mandatory
E-KYC, or electronic ‘Know Your Customer’, is a digital process under which the identity of the beneficiary is verified. This process has been adopted to bring transparency and efficiency to the ration distribution system.
Why is e-KYC mandatory
E-KYC helps in identifying and removing fake beneficiaries, thereby reaching the benefits to the real beneficiaries. It reduces the malpractice in the distribution of ration and ensures that the ration is given to the right person in the right quantity. The data of the beneficiaries is kept updated and accurate by linking it with the Aadhaar card. This makes the entire system more transparent, which increases the trust of the citizens in the government.
For this reason, this decision has been taken, under which now this work has been made mandatory for all ration card beneficiaries. Therefore, if you have not completed the process of e-KYC yet, then get this work done as soon as possible. It is mandatory to get e-KYC done by 30 June 2025. Otherwise, your name can be removed from the ration card.
Easy process to get the ration card e-KYC done
To get the ration card e-KYC done, you can follow these steps:
Offline method (easiest and safest)
- First of all, you have to go to your nearest ration dealer (Fair Price Shop) or Common Service Center (CSC).
- Do not forget to take your Aadhaar card with you.
- There, you will have to get biometric verification (fingerprint or iris scan) done through your Aadhaar card. This process will be completed through the e-POS (Electronic Point of Sale) machine available with the ration dealer.
- Those who are facing problems with fingerprint or OTP verification can easily get this work done by visiting the offline center.
Online method (available in some states)
- Let us tell you that in many states, the option of e-KYC is also given on the online portal.
- Log in to the official portal of the Public Distribution System (PDS) of your state government.
- Look for the e-KYC option in the ‘Ration Card Services’, ‘e-Services’, or ‘Update Details’ section on the portal.
- Enter your ration card number and Aadhaar number.
- An OTP will be sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number, by entering which you can complete the e-KYC process.
It is important to note that you can avail of the facilities available on the ration card only after e-KYC is done. The government has set the last date for e-KYC as 30 June 2025. It is very important to get this work done before this date, so that you continue to get the benefits of the important food security scheme of the Government of India.