Describe One nation - One ration card scheme - give brief detail about national food security act - Notes | Study Descriptive Paper Preparation for SSC Exams - SSC CGL

The ONORC scheme is being implemented for the nation-wide portability of ration cards under National Food Security Act (NFSA). Through this, all eligible ration card holders/beneficiaries covered under NFSA can access their entitlements from anywhere in the country. ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ plan aims to empower all migrant beneficiaries to access their food grains from any fair price shop anywhere in the country by using their existing ration card with biometric authentication and the plan makes food security portable. To address the COVID situation, the government is committed to providing enough food grains to the states at significantly reduced costs through a variety of programmes. In order to create effective strategies, it has been advised that all states share their requirements with the centre. Workers who frequently relocate across the nation in search of better opportunities have a choice thanks to portability. Any fair pricing shop in the nation with an electronic point of sale is where they can get the food grains they are entitled to.
ONORC is based on technology that involves details of beneficiaries’ ration card, Aadhaar number, and electronic Points of Sale (ePoS). The system identifies a beneficiary through biometric authentication on ePoS devices at fair price shops. Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, about 81 crore people are entitled to buy subsidised foodgrains — rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg, and coarse grains at Re 1/kg – from designated fair price shops. As on 28 June 2021, there are about 5.46 lakh fair price shops and 23.63 crore ration card holders across the country.