All about Ration Card

 

Ration cards are an official document issued by state governments in India to households that are eligible to purchase subsidized food grain from the Public Distribution System under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). They also serve as a common form of identification for many Indians.

Under the NFSA, all state governments in India have to identify households that are eligible to purchase subsidized food grain from the Public Distribution System and provide them with ration cards. There are two types of ration cards under NFSA:

·       Priority Household (PHH) ration cards are issued to households that meet the eligibility criteria set by their state government. Each priority household is entitled to 5 kilograms of food grain per member per month.

·       Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration cards are issued to "poorest of poor" households. Each AAY household is entitled to 35 kilograms of food grain per month.

"One Nation, One Ration Card" is an Aadhaar-based national ration card portability scheme to ensure food security for all, including internal migrants within India, under which beneficiaries can purchase subsidized food anywhere in India. For example, a migrant worker can obtain his share of food in his migrant destination location while his family can obtain their share in their source/native home location.

Benefits of ration card

• To access food supplies from a ration shop at subsidised rates.
•  Government-issued ID cards are accepted in India as official identification. 
•  You can use it as identification proof when applying for a PAN card.
•  Transferring money between bank accounts and opening a bank account.
•  In order to pay the correct levels of income tax.
•  To reissue a new voter id card.
•  To purchase a mobile SIM card.
•  To apply for a passport.
•  To get a new driving license.
•  To get a new LPG connection.
•  To withdraw life insurance.

 

List of documents to apply for ration card

• Application for state status
• Election ID, Driver’s Licence, Passport, Government Id Card
• Evidence of residency (electricity bill, telephone bill, LPG receipt, bank passbook, rental agreement)
•  The family head is pictured in this photograph
•  The applicant’s income per year
• Any ration cards that have been canceled or surrendered

How to Apply for a Ration Card

The ways through which you can apply for a ration card are mentioned below:

Online

• Visit the official website of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department of the state in which you reside. You can apply by submitting the required documents and filling out the application form. Once you have submitted the form, a representative from the department will contact you and assist you with the process. You will receive your ration card at your communication address if all the documents you submitted are correct.
•  Additionally, you can fill out the application form on third-party websites and upload the necessary documents. The ration card can be obtained by visiting the website, submitting the form and uploading the required documents, and then waiting for it to arrive

Offline

• SMS messages can be sent to the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department of the state in which you live according to a specific format. A message will then instruct you on how to apply for a ration card. The official website of your state government will provide details about the process.
• On the state government website, you can also find the customer care number or toll-free number, which you can call to get information about the ration card application process.
• By submitting the application form and all the required documents, you can also apply for a ration card at the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department in the state where you reside.