QR code-enabled ration cards in Delhi; grain to be issued via facial scanning..
The Delhi government is preparing to make the Public Distribution System (PDS)—the mechanism for distributing rations—completely high-tech and transparent. The government is set to launch the 'Smart-PDS' project across the city soon. With the introduction of this new system, all services related to ration cards and the distribution of food grains will become fully digital, curbing black-marketing and irregularities. Under this digital transformation, ration cardholders will no longer need to make repeated visits to government offices, and live tracking of ration distribution will become possible.
**Ration distribution via QR codes and facial recognition**
Significant technological changes are being implemented in Delhi under the Smart-PDS project, directly benefiting the general public:
**Smart ration cards with QR codes:** Existing ration cards in Delhi will be upgraded. These cards will now feature QR codes, enabling digital verification.
**Facial recognition:** Facial recognition technology will now be used to authenticate beneficiaries.
**Solution for biometric mismatches:**
It is often observed that the fingerprints of the elderly or laborers engaged in manual work fail to match on biometric machines. For such individuals, the facial authentication facility will prove to be a major boon.**Track rations from home; services to go online**
A key highlight of this new system is that beneficiaries will no longer face hassles in obtaining their entitled food grains.
**Live tracking:**
**All services online:** Services such as adding or removing a family member's name from the ration card, uploading documents, and checking the status of new card applications will now be available entirely online. Curbing Fraud and Black Marketing