Cabinet Approves ₹25,530 Crore SARTHAK-PDS to Modernise Ration System till 2031
On May 28, 2026, the Union Cabinet approved a ₹25,530 crore outlay to extend and modernise SARTHAK-PDS — the technology backbone of India's Public Distribution System (PDS) — till 2031. The scheme covers about 80 crore beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act, 2013. Modernisation includes upgraded e-PoS devices, integration with the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) platform and improved supply-chain digitisation across Fair Price Shops (FPS).
Key Facts & Details
8 points- 1Outlay: ₹25,530 crore for SARTHAK-PDS extension till 2031
- 2Beneficiaries: about 80 crore people under NFSA, 2013
- 3Backbone of public distribution: ration card portability via ONORC
Deep Dive
- +PDS in India is operated jointly by the Centre and states; the Centre procures, transports and allocates foodgrains, while states identify beneficiaries and run Fair Price Shops
- +The National Food Security Act, 2013 entitles 75% of rural and 50% of urban population to subsidised foodgrains
- +Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households get 35 kg per family per month; Priority Households get 5 kg per person per month
- +ONORC enables NFSA beneficiaries to draw their entitlement from any Fair Price Shop in the country using biometric authentication
- +PMGKAY (Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana) provides free foodgrains to NFSA beneficiaries since January 2023
Exam Focus
Likely MCQ: Approximately how many beneficiaries are covered under India's National Food Security Act, 2013? → Answer: About 80 crore
Related Topics
Exam Relevance & Angle
Schemes, NFSA, ONORC and PMGKAY are repeat-frequency questions in SSC, Banking, and UPSC exams.
Target Exams
Background & Context
The Public Distribution System (PDS) is one of India's largest social-security programmes. It distributes subsidised foodgrains — primarily rice, wheat and coarse grains — through a network of about 5.4 lakh Fair Price Shops nationwide.
The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) legally entitles 75% of rural and 50% of urban population (about 80 crore people) to receive foodgrains at highly subsidised prices: rice at ₹3/kg, wheat at ₹2/kg, coarse grains at ₹1/kg. Currently, foodgrains are distributed free of cost under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) since January 2023.
The One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme, fully rolled out by 2022, lets beneficiaries lift their entitlement from any FPS in the country using Aadhaar-based biometric authentication through electronic Point of Sale (e-PoS) devices.
Related GK Concepts
Must KnowTest Yourself
1 / 3The National Food Security Act, 2013 entitles what percentage of India's rural population to subsidised foodgrains?
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