What Changed From October 1
New Delhi: Buying ration is set to become contactless. From October 1, fair price shops across the country are replacing fingerprint and other Aadhaar-based biometric authentication with face authentication, in a major technology shift overseen by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
Under the new system, beneficiaries will no longer need to press their fingers on a scanner. Instead, the ration dealer will capture the beneficiary’s photograph on a verified device, and the image will be matched against UIDAI’s database to authenticate the transaction and release the entitled foodgrain.
Why the Shift to Face Authentication
Fingerprint authentication has long been a pain point in the public distribution system. Elderly beneficiaries, manual labourers and farm workers often have worn-out fingerprints that scanners fail to read, leading to repeated authentication failures and, in some cases, denial of entitled grain. Officials say face authentication addresses this exclusion problem directly.
The contactless method is also more hygienic and faster, which should reduce queues at ration shops during distribution days. UIDAI has been steadily expanding face-authentication capacity across its authentication user agencies, and the PDS rollout is among its largest applications so far.
What Ration Card Holders Should Know
Beneficiaries do not need to enrol afresh: the photograph already linked with their Aadhaar will be used for matching. Ration card holders should make sure their Aadhaar details — especially the photograph and mobile number — are up to date. They should continue to carry their ration card or Aadhaar number to the fair price shop, and report persistent authentication failures to the dealer or the state’s grievance helpline.
States have been asked to ensure dealers are trained on the new devices and that beneficiaries are informed of the change through notices displayed at shops.
Background: Technology in the PDS
The public distribution system, which supplies subsidised foodgrain to over 80 crore people under the National Food Security Act, has progressively digitised over the past decade — from Aadhaar seeding of ration cards to the One Nation One Ration Card scheme that enables portability across states. Biometric authentication at the point of sale was introduced to curb diversion and weed out duplicate cards.
What Happens Next
The Centre will closely monitor authentication failure rates and exclusion complaints in the coming weeks as the new system beds in. If the rollout succeeds, face authentication could be extended to other welfare schemes that rely on Aadhaar authentication. Beneficiaries facing issues should use the toll-free PDS helplines in their states.
