Context:

The Government of India recently removed nearly 2.25 crore ineligible beneficiaries from the National Food Security Act (NFSA) ration card rolls. This comes amid the ongoing implementation of the Free Monthly Ration Scheme, which provides 5 kg of free food grains per person every month to eligible households.

Reasons for Removal:

The Union Food and Public Distribution Department identified several categories of ineligible beneficiaries:

1. Individuals with assets/income beyond eligibility limits:

·         Owners of four-wheelers

·         Households with a monthly income above the state-prescribed ceilings

·         Directors of registered companies

2. Deceased individuals:

Many names continuing in ration lists even after death were removed following field verification.

3. Data discrepancies detected through central databases

The Centre shared flagged lists with states for on-ground verification. The deletions were made only after state-level scrutiny.

About the NFSA Act:

Enacted in 2013, the National Food Security Act (NFSA) covers:

• • 75% of the rural population
  • 50% of the urban population

Altogether, about 813.5 million people are covered under the NFSA Act based on the 2011 census.

NFSA beneficiaries fall into two main categories:

1. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)

·         For the “poorest of the poor”

·         35 kg of food grains per family per month

2. Priority Households (PHH)

·         For vulnerable households identified by states

·         5 kg per person per month

As of today, India has:

·         19+ crore ration cards

·         5 lakh Fair Price Shops (FPS) across states and UTs

Role of State Governments:

Although the Central Government manages procurement and distribution through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), it is the states that:

• • Identify eligible beneficiaries
  • Issue ration cards
  • Delete ineligible names
  • Ensure doorstep delivery of grains to FPSs

Thus, the cleansing exercise required substantial coordination between the Centre and the states.

Significance of the Cleansing exercise:

• • Prevents subsidy leakage: With food subsidy accounting for one of the Government’s largest welfare expenditures, removing non-eligible individuals is fiscally essential.
  • Enables inclusion of genuine poor: The deletion of 2.25 crore ineligible names opens space for 79 million uncovered but eligible individuals, especially in aspirational districts and newly formed households.
  • Enhances scheme credibility: Ensuring accurate beneficiary lists strengthens public trust in NFSA and aligns with broader digital governance efforts such as Aadhaar authentication and real-time FPS monitoring.
  • Supports food security goals: Targeted distribution ensures that the most vulnerable groups—women-headed households, elderly, landless labourers, migrants—receive stable access to food grains.

Concerns Raised:

While the clean-up is aimed at transparency, some policy concerns remain:

• • Risk of wrongful exclusion of poor households without proper documentation or those living in remote tribal regions.
  • Dependence on 2011 Census population data, which may underestimate current food demand.
  • Variation in state criteria, as NFSA allows states to set their own eligibility rules, leading to inconsistencies.