India’s Public Distribution System at a Crossroads: How Recent Technological Reforms Are Shaping the Future of Food Security

SHUBHANGI .

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.67113

India’s Public Distribution System at a Crossroads: How Recent Technological Reforms Are Shaping the Future of Food Security

Author(s)	Dr. SHUBHANGI .
Country	India
Abstract	The world largest food security network, the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India is going through a paradigm shift because of technological reforms. This review critically looks at new technological advances - of Aadhaar-based biometric authentication and digitized ration cards to electronic point-of-sale (ePoS) devices and computerizing the entire supply chain - and its effects on food security. The combination of peer-reviewed research and policy developments leads us to conclude that these reforms have caused a drastic decrease in leakages of the subsidized grains and increased transparency in most settings, which results in improved coverage and nutritional outcomes under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Nevertheless, the challenges outlined in the literature are also formidable: as a means to stem out the so-called ghost beneficiaries, biometric authentication has at times placed additional access control barriers and a false negative in access to vulnerable groups. The experiences on the state level are diverse; the examples of success demonstrate the significance of strong grievance redressal, offline options, and inclusive design to eliminate the traps of technology. The review concludes that the PDS in India has reached a crossroad - reforms in technology are fundamentally transforming its future, with more efficient and portable safety net to be available, but it needs to be recalibrated to make sure that it does not leave anyone behind in the quest to be brought on board the digital efficiency. We find the gaps that are available in the current literature and give the directions in which the further research is to be conducted in order to balance efficiency with equity in a digitized PDS
Keywords	Public Distribution System; Food Security; Digital Governance; Aadhaar; Biometric Authentication; e-Point of Sale (ePoS); Supply Chain Digitization; National Food Security Act; Welfare Technology; Social Protection;;
Field	Mathematics > Economy / Commerce
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On	2026-01-23
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.67113

View / Download PDF File

E-ISSN 2582-2160

doi

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads

Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2 Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 1 Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 6

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

India’s Public Distribution System at a Crossroads: How Recent Technological Reforms Are Shaping the Future of Food Security

Share this