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File No. CS-SWE-002 · Central Scheme · Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution

One Nation One Ration Card — ONORC

Draw your subsidised foodgrain from any Fair Price Shop in India — not just the one assigned to your home address — using your existing ration card.

What this scheme offers

Before ONORC, a ration cardholder could only collect subsidised food from the specific Fair Price Shop (FPS) tied to their registered address. This made the Public Distribution System nearly unusable for the tens of millions of Indians who migrate for work — a family working in a different state from where their ration card was issued effectively lost access to their food entitlement. ONORC removes that restriction: using Aadhaar-based biometric authentication at any ePoS (electronic Point of Sale) device, an NFSA beneficiary can now draw their full or partial entitlement from any FPS nationwide, whether they've moved permanently or are travelling. No new card is needed — your existing ration card works as-is. The rollout reached all 36 states and UTs by 2022, and the government's MERA RATION app (available in 13 languages) lets you check your entitlement and nearby FPS locations in real time.

Who is eligible

  • Any beneficiary already covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, holding a valid ration card.
  • Your Aadhaar number must be linked ("seeded") to your ration card for the biometric verification to work at any FPS.
  • Particularly useful for migrant workers, students studying away from home, and anyone who travels for work.

Documents required

  • Existing NFSA ration card
  • Aadhaar card, linked to the ration card

How to use it

  1. If your ration card isn't yet Aadhaar-linked, visit your local FPS or ration office to complete the seeding first — this is required for ONORC to work.
  2. Download the MERA RATION mobile app to check your entitlement and locate nearby ePoS-enabled Fair Price Shops wherever you are.
  3. Visit any ePoS-enabled FPS in India — you don't need to be in your home state or district.
  4. Authenticate using Aadhaar-based fingerprint or biometric verification at the shop's ePoS device.
  5. Draw your full or partial entitlement — you can split your monthly quota across different shops or locations if needed.
  6. Track your transaction history in real time through the Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS) portal or the MERA RATION app.

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