Ration Card E-KYC : Ration card holders Planning to apply for a e-KYC tomorrow, a scheme for the electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) process, or in the next two days as the deadline ends on July 31?
The need for this on a war footing which is part of the digitisation and verification of Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries, is massive for families dependent on subsidised food grains and necessities.
Many cardholders have still not done so, despite multiple public service announcements and deadline extensions. Those who miss the deadline face potential temporary loss of benefits, something that could prove hard on many in households more and more pinched by skyrocketing cost of living.
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Why E-KYC Is Compulsory?
This, the e-KYC process, is a very important part of the government’s larger plan to reform the PDS and weed out fraud using a strong authentication process. The pilot is designed to address a number of long-time systemic problems:
11) Remo-val of Ghost Beneficiaries Five to 15 percent of ration (public distribution) cards in different states may be bogus/duplicate, which is a major source of leakage of subsidized commodities.
Correct Beneficiary Identification: e-KYC helps establish an authenticated digital identity for true beneficiaries, thus guaranteeing that the subsidy only reaches the deserving.
Migration to One Nation, One Ration Card – The validation is critical in the context of implementation of nationwide portability, which enables the beneficiaries to lift their entitled food grains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) anywhere in the country.
Reduction of Paperwork: The online system gets rid of time-consuming manual verification reducing corruption and make easy processes for both beneficiary and administration.
Ramesh Kumar, who runs Fair Price Shop in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, said he has already seen this among customers: “Many initially resisted the digital verification, especially the elderly who were not comfortable with technology.
But when I explained that they’re in fact protecting their benefits and lessening the problems of manual verification, they mostly understood. Even so, I have dozens of regular customers who have yet to do so and they are about to lose their monthly aid.”
A behaviour change is made mandatory in order to finish the E-KYC in 48 hours
Verification must be done post haste, with the looming deadline of return. Ration card holders can avail services of different available channels to meet the requirement:
Option 1: Go to the nearest PDS shop (Recommended for scenarios up against the deadline) For those living it down to the wire, the most straightforward approach is to go to your local ration shop:
Carry original ration card, your Aadhaar card along with mobile which is registered on Aadhaar
The shop keeper will perform the biometric authentication via the e-POS machine
Verification takes up to 5-10 minutes assuming all the documents are in order
Take a confirmation receipt of the work done.
Option 2: Common Service Centers – CSC [Optional verification point where queues are usually shorter]:
Go to any nearest CSC along with necessary documents
Pay minial processing fee (Rs. 15-30 varies slightly by state)
Full biometric authentification
Get SMS Confirmation on your mobile number registered
Option 3: Mobile App (If Available) Some states have mobile app verification, but it may not be fast enough with the deadline looming:
Please go to the state pds/Food Supply department app and download it.
Upload required documents
Complete OTP verification
Book an appointment for in person bio-metric if needed.
Sunita Devi, a homemaker from Patna who finished the process last week, says: “I thought it would be difficult, but the ration shop dealer guided me through it. The fingerprint scan required a few tries, because my hands are out in the fields, but then it worked. It took around 20 minutes all up (including waiting time there) and I got a SMS confirmation before leaving the shop.
Ration Card E-KYC Documents Needed to be Verified Successfully
Having the right documents in hand before visiting the verification centres is necessary to avoid needless visits and to save time:
Essential Documents:
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Original ration card
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Head of the household Aadhaar card (Compulsory)
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aadhaar cards of all family members appearing in the ration card (optional* mandatory in most states)
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Aadhaar-registered mobile phone (for OTP verification)
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A”Recent Passport Sized Photograph”( which is demanded in some states )
Supporting Paperwork (If Any):
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Receipt of ration buy for last month
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Bank Passbook (Linked to Ration card If It Is Available)
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All Official Communication including letters or notices pertaining to e-KYC from Food Supply Department
There is one important point which is being overlooked, says Prakash Yadav, a rural development officer in Madhya Pradesh: “We may get a photocopy of an individual’s papers but we do need the original Aadhaar card for biometrics. Also, verify the present phone beint used by registered family member as OTP verification is being statutorily applied at most places.
Ration Card E-KYC Final Deadline Push Specials
Understanding the dependence on them, several states have introduced certain special provisions to facilitate these last-mile verifications:
Increased days of operation: Several stores (FPS and CSC) have been authorised to remain open till 8:00 PM during these last days.
Mobile Verification Vans: Certain districts have used mobile verification teams to cover countryside settlements and help older or disabled beneficiaries who cannot travel to verification centers.
Block Help Desks: Special helplines have been created for resolution of complex cases and document issues at the block offices.
Priority Processing for Senior Citizens and Differently-abled: Special counters and assistance personnel have been organised to facilitate submission of pension papers among such beneficiary without any avoidable inconvenience/uploads/pension-pension-pdf.
Lakshmi Kant, District Supply Officer at Jaipur, Rajasthan explains these special provisions: “We have permitted our Fair Price Shop dealers to do door-to-door verification for such disabled beneficiaries who are genuinely immobile.
Others, Note to the rest of you — for whom we’ve expanded center hours and assigned additional staff to deal with the rush. Unfortunately, we have to close, and we expect big crowds in the next few days, so come early.”
What Could Happen If You Miss The Deadline
The action if an individual did not get the e-KYC done by the due date was quite harsh and prompt:
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Temporary Suspension: Temporary suspension of unverified cards to ensure that the monthly entitlements are not disbursed until the verification is done.
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Risks to collecting back-benefits: Even though the majority of states will agree in writing to reinstate “back benefit” payments, claiming these can be a hassle.
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Subsequent Verification: cards left unverified after the deadline date will require extra attention and supporting documents during verification attempts.
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Permanent Deactivation: In certain jurisdictions, cards unverified for more than three months straight after the due date could be eligible for permanent deactivation, and you will need to reapply for them.
“It impacts the families directly to the last individual.” Vishnu Sharma, a social worker who works with marginalized populations in Odisha, also illustrates what this means for the real world: “For a number of families, they are solely dependent on PDS rations for nutritional requirements.
For households, even a one-month suspension can mean that they have to borrow money to be able to eat, at exorbitant rates, or scale back on their meals. The poorest families are also in many ways the least educated about these requirements — a cruel twist in which the neediest among those dependent on the system are the most prone to have benefits cut.
Ration Card E-KYC State-Specific Differences to Know About
The e-KYC requirement is a national requirement, however the process is implemented differently in each state:
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Documents Required: In certain states, Aadhaar must be provided for all family members, while in others you need to produce the head of the family’s Aadhaar at first and the rest will have to be seeded later.
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Means of Verification: Tamil Nadu and Kerala are among the states that facilitate verification in several ways such as through mobile apps, while Bihar has largely ration shop-based verification.
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Grace Period Policy : Some states like Gujarat and Maharashtra have declared small grace periods with half distribution for the first month after the deadline and all other states are blocking at first offence.
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Revalidation Steps: Similar the revival of a suspended card significantly varies from state to state; some states would instantly activate the card once it is validated, while others might take up to fifteen days.
Local PDS agencies continue to be your best resource for state-specific information in the last days leading up the deadline.
Ration Card E-KYC Post Verification: Ensure a Successful Completion
Even after one has successfully completed their biometric, we recommend you perform the below steps to make sure your ration card is properly activated:
Confirmation of Verification: Make sure to get an sms confirmation or a physical receipt confirming a successful verification.
Digital Record Check: Please attempt to check your status on state PDS portal/ mobile app (if available) after 24-48 hours to know if you have been successfully registered.
Next Collection of Ration: Carry your Verification receipt while Collecting Ration in the next cycle as an additional proof till the synchronization with systems is completed.
Update Contact Information: Make sure that your current mobile number is updated on the system in order to receive future text messages about Verifying or Benefit Changes.
With the deadline looming, food supply departments across the country warn cardholders who are not verified till now, to complete this extremely important needful in time to avoid denial of indispensable food security benefits.
