Overview
- The Delhi Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department formed a 16‑member User Acceptance Testing committee Thursday to validate the Ration Card Management System app that has been onboarded to the SMART‑PDS platform.
- Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed the issue of new smart ration cards with QR codes and upgraded digital capabilities to replace ordinary cards for beneficiaries.
- The system will add biometric and facial authentication at fair price shops so officials can verify beneficiaries and reduce diversion and fake or duplicate cards.
- SMART‑PDS will record transactions digitally and offer real‑time shop‑level status checks while linking to the Centre’s One Nation One Ration Card scheme to let eligible holders use entitlements nationwide.
- About 17 lakh ration‑card holders in Delhi stand to be moved to the new system, but officials have not yet published a phased rollout schedule or full details on data privacy and card conversion timelines.