India made major progress in improving its Public Distribution System (PDS) in 2025, according to the Year-End Review released by the Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD). The review highlights how technology, transparency and citizen participation have strengthened one of the world’s largest food security programmes.
One of the biggest achievements of the year was the 100% digitisation of ration cards and beneficiary records under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Around 20.55 crore ration cards, covering nearly 79.8 crore people, are now available on state and Union Territory transparency portals. This allows real-time monitoring of beneficiaries and helps improve accountability in the system.
The government also achieved over 99.9% Aadhaar seeding of ration cards, which has helped remove duplicate or fake entries and ensured that food subsidies reach genuine beneficiaries. This step has played a key role in reducing errors and leakages.
Another major improvement was the widespread use of technology at ration shops. Nearly 99.8% of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) across the country are now equipped with electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) machines. These devices digitally record every transaction and ensure that subsidised food grains are distributed correctly. More than 98% of food grain distribution is now verified through biometric or Aadhaar-based authentication, increasing trust among beneficiaries and improving efficiency.
In 2025, the government also introduced ASHA, an AI-based grievance redressal and citizen engagement platform under the IndiaAI Mission. ASHA uses advanced language technology through Bhashini, along with WhatsApp and IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System), to collect feedback from beneficiaries after ration distribution. The platform analyses feedback, identifies complaints through sentiment analysis, and automatically sends them to the concerned authorities for quick resolution.