One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme| Benefits, Eligibility and Application Process

Have you ever thought about how people moving to new cities for work get their basic food supplies? In India, this has been a challenge for many. Migrant workers and their families often struggle to access essential food items at fair prices when they are far from home. To solve this problem, the government introduced a powerful initiative. Imagine a system where no matter where you go in India, you can always get your food rations. This is the promise of the “One Nation One Ration Card” (ONORC) Scheme.

One Nation One Ration Card ensures you never go hungry, no matter where your journey takes you!

Under this scheme, the government of India aims to provide 81 crore people, especially migrant workers and their families, food from any Fair Price Shop. This means that even if they move to a different state, they can still access their food entitlements without any hassle.

The ONORC Scheme connects every corner of the country, ensuring no one is left behind.

So, what are the benefits of the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme, and how can you apply for it?

Let’s find out!

Understanding One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

The “One Nation One Ration Card” (ONORC) Scheme was launched by the Department of Food & Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution in 2018.

Here are the One Nation One Ration Card details:

• The scheme ensures food security for all, including internal migrants, under the National Food Security Act of 2013.
• Fair Price Shops (FPS) are licensed public ration stores under the Essential Commodities Act of 1955.
• You can access your ration card details and entitlements online through any ePoS device.
• The ONORC scheme offers both inter-state and intra-state portability of ration cards.
• Assam recently became the 36th State to implement ONORC, making food security portable across all States/UTs.
• The government has also launched the ‘MERA RATION’, a mobile app to enhance ONORC benefits. It is available in 13 languages. 
• Over 20 crore Ration Cards are issued through more than 4.5 lakh POS-enabled Fair Price Shops nationwide.

One Nation One Ration Card Scheme Milestones in July 2024

As of July 2024, here are the latest statistics for the ONORC scheme:

• 36 States Participating
• 193,707 Ration Cards
• 884,641 Beneficiaries
• 198,290 Total Transactions
• 2,687,539.40 kg Wheat Distribution
• 1,832,322.75 kg Rice Distribution

These numbers reflect the scheme’s widespread implementation across India, ensuring food security and distribution efficiency for a large number of beneficiaries.

Salient features of One Nation One Ration Card

This scheme is indeed a favourable solution for making food available to all individuals.

1. A complete technology-driven initiative empowering migrants to be self-reliant for their food security.

2. You don’t have to carry your original ration card or Aadhaar card. A photocopy of either card or simply quoting the number to the FPS dealer is enough.

3. Entitlements from the Home State are available online on the ePoS devices of the chosen FPS- fair price shop.

What are the Benefits of the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme

The One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme offers multiple benefits to thousands of families:

1. The ONORC scheme digitises Ration Cards to benefit approximately 81 crore beneficiaries. This helps ensure seamless access to food grains across the country.
2. It allows NFSA beneficiaries, including migrant workers, to claim food grains using their ration card with biometric/Aadhaar authentication. They have access to any Fair Price Shop nationwide.

The NFSA (National Food Security Act) has two categories of beneficiaries:

• Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households
• Priority Households (PHH)

AAY households are the poorest families identified by state governments. On the other hand, PHH includes families eligible for subsidised food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

3. Beneficiaries from one state can receive the same quality and quantity of rations in other states where their ration card was issued.
4. It improves the system to detect and prevent fake or duplicate ration cards, ensuring fair distribution of food grains.
5. ONORC supports the global goal of ending hunger by 2030 under SDG 2.

One Nation One Ration Card Eligibility 

The ONORC scheme is available to all ration cardholders and beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. However, they must have linked their Aadhaar Card numbers.

How Can You Apply to the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme?

You can apply to the ONORC scheme offline or online. Here are the steps to apply for One Nation One Ration Card online:

Easy Steps to for One Nation One Ration Card Apply Online

1. To enlist as a new user, you must visit the official National Food Security Portal website at https://nfsa.gov.in.
2. You can check the status of your Ration card by logging in to the official National Food Security Portal website at https://nfsa.gov.in.
3. Alternatively, you can also download the “Mera Ration” mobile application. Once downloaded, you can:
   • Register as a new user.
   • Find your nearest Ration Shops.
   • Check eligibility criteria.
   • View your transactions.
   • Link Aadhaar to your account.

Easy Steps to Apply for One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme Offline

1. Provide your ration card details at the nearest Fair Price Shop to avail of One Nation One Ration Card scheme benefits.
2. You can use your Aadhaar number or ration card number to access any Fair Price Shop across the country.

Do you know?

• Your family members with linked Aadhaar numbers can also authenticate and collect rations.
• You have the option to choose between an iris scan or fingerprints for Aadhaar authentication if required.

Documents Required for One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme

To apply for the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme, you will need:

• Ration Card: This is essential for identification and verification purposes.
• Aadhaar Card: Aadhaar number must be linked to the ration card for authentication.

One Nation One Ration Card State List

The One Nation One Ration Card scheme has been successfully implemented across all 36 States and Union Territories in India.

These include:

A&N Islands	Andhra Pradesh	Arunachal Pradesh
Assam	Bihar	Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli	Daman & Diu	Delhi
Goa	Gujarat	Haryana
Himachal Pradesh	Jammu & Kashmir	Jharkhand
Karnataka	Kerala	Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh	Maharashtra	Manipur
Meghalaya	Mizoram	Nagaland
Odisha	Puducherry	Punjab
Rajasthan	Sikkim	Tamil Nadu
Telangana	Tripura	Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand	West Bengal	Chandigarh

Latest Changes in the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme

As per the notification issued on 20 DEC 2023, these are the latest updates:

1. Approximately 99.8% of ration cards are now linked with Aadhaar.
2. All 36 States/UTs in the One Nation One Ration Card state list have implemented the ONORC plan.
3. Over 124 Crore transactions have been recorded, benefiting around 80 Crore beneficiaries nationwide.
4. Around 97% of transactions are now conducted transparently through biometric authentication via ePoS devices.
5. Beneficiaries can now also use alternative identification documents such as Voter ID, PAN Card, Passport, etc.

FAQs| One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme

Source: myscheme.gov.in https://impds.nic.in/portal/ pib.gov.in

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