**Public Distribution System (PDS) vs Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)**

**Introduction**
Public Distribution System (PDS) and Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) are two programs implemented by the government to ensure food security and provide essential commodities to the economically vulnerable sections of society. While both systems aim to address the issue of hunger and poverty, they differ in terms of their scope, targeting mechanism, and mode of operation.

**Public Distribution System (PDS)**
The Public Distribution System (PDS) was introduced in India in the 1960s as a part of the government's welfare measures. It is a nationwide program that seeks to distribute essential commodities such as rice, wheat, sugar, and kerosene at subsidized rates through a network of fair price shops. The main features of the PDS include:

1. **Universal Coverage**: The PDS covers the entire population, regardless of their income level or socio-economic status.
2. **Subsidized Rates**: The commodities provided through the PDS are sold at prices lower than the market rates, making them affordable for the poor.
3. **Fair Price Shops**: The distribution of commodities takes place through a network of fair price shops, which are licensed outlets authorized to sell the subsidized goods.
4. **Leakages and Challenges**: The PDS has faced several challenges, including leakages, corruption, inefficiency, and inadequate storage facilities, leading to the exclusion of deserving beneficiaries and diversion of subsidized commodities to the black market.

**Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)**
To overcome the shortcomings of the PDS and ensure better targeting of benefits, the government introduced the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in 1997. The TPDS is an improved version of the PDS, which aims to provide subsidized food grains to the poorest of the poor. Key features of the TPDS include:

1. **Identification of Beneficiaries**: Under the TPDS, the government identifies specific categories of beneficiaries based on socio-economic criteria, such as income level, occupation, and household status.
2. **Priority Households**: The TPDS focuses on providing food grains to priority households, which include below-poverty-line (BPL) families, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, and other vulnerable groups.
3. **Exclusion and Inclusion Errors**: The TPDS attempts to reduce exclusion and inclusion errors by using the Below Poverty Line (BPL) census data to identify eligible beneficiaries. However, the identification process is not foolproof and may still result in some errors.
4. **Technology Interventions**: The TPDS incorporates technology-driven interventions such as the use of electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices, Aadhaar-based authentication, and online grievance redressal systems to enhance transparency, reduce leakages, and improve service delivery.

**Conclusion**
While both the Public Distribution System (PDS) and the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) aim to address food security issues and provide essential commodities to the needy, the TPDS is an improved version of the PDS, focusing on better targeting and addressing exclusion and inclusion errors. The TPDS identifies specific categories of beneficiaries based on socio-economic criteria and incorporates technology-driven interventions to enhance transparency and reduce leakages. However, despite the improvements brought about by the TPDS, challenges such as corruption, inefficiency, and inadequate infrastructure still persist. Continual monitoring

PDS was universal with no discrimination between poor and non poor but TPDS principal was to target poor people in all area