Question

Read the below statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark the correct options:

Assertion (A): The One Nation One Ration Card ensures portability of food grains.
Reason (R): It uses Aadhaar-enabled biometric authentication.

• A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
• B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
• C. A is true, but R is false
• D. A is false, but R is true

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme

• Assertion (A): The One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme facilitates the portability of food grains across the country. This means that a beneficiary can lift their subsidized food grains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) in the country, regardless of where their ration card is issued.

• Reason (R): The scheme relies on Aadhaar-enabled biometric authentication for verifying the identity of beneficiaries. This technology ensures that only the rightful beneficiary can access their entitled food grains, preventing leakage and duplication.

Key Features and Context:

• Objective: The primary goal of ONORC is to ensure food security for all, especially migrant workers and their families. It aims to eliminate the need for beneficiaries to obtain new ration cards when they move to a different part of the country.

• Technology Integration: The system integrates the PDS (Public Distribution System) with Aadhaar, enabling seamless verification through biometric (fingerprint or iris scan) or Aadhaar-based OTP authentication.

• Implementation: The ONORC scheme was launched by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It has been progressively rolled out and is now available across all states and union territories.

• Benefits: It combats corruption, reduces the dependency of poor on local FPS dealers, and provides greater flexibility and choice to beneficiaries.

• Background: The Public Distribution System (PDS) in India has historically faced challenges related to identification of beneficiaries and leakage. The ONORC scheme is a significant reform aimed at addressing these issues by leveraging digital infrastructure.