Reforming India’s Public Distribution System (PDS): Operational Dynamics, Digital Interventions, and Strategic Pathways to Food Security

Areeba Khan; Noriai Farooqui

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85876

Reforming India’s Public Distribution System (PDS): Operational Dynamics, Digital Interventions, and Strategic Pathways to Food Security

Author(s)	Dr. Areeba Khan, Prof. Noriai Farooqui
Country	India
Abstract	The Public Distribution System (PDS) is a central component of India’s food-security architecture, providing subsidized food grains to vulnerable households through a nationwide network of procurement, storage, transportation, and Fair Price Shops (FPSs). Despite its scale and policy importance, the system has faced persistent operational challenges, including diversion of food grains, beneficiary identification errors, weak last-mile infrastructure, storage constraints, and uneven administrative capacity. This paper examines the contemporary operational dynamics of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) through the combined perspectives of public policy and supply chain management. Particular attention is given to digital interventions, including Aadhaar-enabled authentication, electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) systems, and the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) initiative. The paper uses secondary information from official administrative sources, audit material, and previously reported empirical studies to assess key stages of the distribution chain. The analysis suggests that digitalization can strengthen transaction-level traceability and reduce opportunities for duplicate or fictitious records, while portability can improve access for migrant households. At the same time, digital systems do not eliminate vulnerabilities in transportation, warehousing, connectivity, authentication, and retail-level incentives. The paper therefore argues for an integrated reform strategy that combines digital transparency with stronger logistics, decentralized procurement, improved storage, viable FPS economics, and reliable non-biometric fallback mechanisms. Such reforms can strengthen the PDS as a more transparent, resilient, and nutrition-sensitive instrument of food security.
Keywords	Keywords: Public Distribution System (PDS); Food Security; Targeted PDS; Supply Chain Management; ePoS; Aadhaar; One Nation One Ration Card; Food Policy
Field	Sociology > Economics
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-08-16
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85876

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Reforming India’s Public Distribution System (PDS): Operational Dynamics, Digital Interventions, and Strategic Pathways to Food Security

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