How To Link Aadhaar With Your Ration Card

The government has been urging individuals to link major documents like the PAN, bank accounts etc. with the Aadhaar card. The ration card is also one of them. Let us now see how to link the Aadhar with the ration card both online and offline.

What is the Ration Card?

The ration card is an important and authorized document issued by the State Government of India to every household that is eligible to buy subsidized food grains from the PDS system - Public Distribution System under the National Food Security Act. It also serves as an identity card. The ration card is one of the most ancient address-proof documents in India. So, it is essential to link them with Aadhaar. Connecting the Aadhaar with the ration card is highly beneficial.

How To Link The Aadhaar With The Ration Card Online?

Here are the steps to link the Aadhaar with the ration card online

Step 1: Go to the official website of your state's Public Distribution System (PDS) portal.

Step 2: Enter your Aadhar card number, ration card number, and your registered mobile number.

Step 3: Click on the continue/submit button to proceed further.

Step 4: Step 4: A One Time Password (OTP) will be sent to your registered mobile number for verification.

Step 5: Enter the OTP and click on the ration card Aadhaar card link.

How to Integrate the Ration Card With Aadhaar Offline?

Step 1: Take a photocopy of your ration card and the Aadhaar cards of all your family members.

Step 2: If you are yet to link your Aadhaar card with your bank account, take a photocopy of your bank passbook.

Step 3: Also, take a passport-sized photo of the head of the family and submit it to the ration office, public distribution System (PDS), or ration shop.

Step 4: You may also be required to give your fingerprint for authentication if you are using your Aadhaar card for the first time.

Step 5: The bank will verify all your documents and process them. After successfully linking the Aadhaar card to the ration card, you will get a notification by SMS.

Benefits of Linking the Aadhaar with the Ration Card

• Linking the Aadhaar with the ration card prevents fraudulent activities.
• It will reduce the number of fake ration card holders who are availing subsidies meant for the below poverty line (BPL) families.
• When you integrate ration and Aadhaar, biometric identification gets incorporated. This will enable the PDS shops to identify the actual beneficiaries and streamline the benefits accordingly.
• Aadhaar helps in recognizing and removing corrupt middlemen in the PDS by creating an audit trail. The audit trail also helps in identifying leaks and diversions and doing away with them, thus adding structure, orderliness, and efficiency to the system as a whole.

Why is it Necessary to Link The Aadhaar with Ration Card?

The government has made it mandatory to link the Aadhaar with the ration card. The primary reasons for this are as follows

• This integration will prevent users from having multiple ration cards. Moreover, it will also help the authorities filter and eliminate people whose income exceeds the limits required for availing ration at subsidized rates.
• It is mandatory to link your Aadhaar with the ration card to avail of the benefits under the Antodaya Anna Yojana scheme and the Priority Household Scheme.

Documents Required to Link the Aadhaar with the Ration Card

The documents required to link the Aadhaar with the ration card are as follows:

• The original card and photocopy of your ration card for on-site verification.
• Aadhaar copies of all the family members
• Photocopy of the Aadhaar of the head of the family.
• Photograph in passport size of the head of the family.
• Bank passbook copy if the bank account is not integrated with the Aadhaar.
• Two passport-sized photographs of the household's head are required.

How to Check if the Ration Card is Linked to the Aadhaar Card?

Step 1: On the national food security website, navigate to the My Ration Card Details Page

Step 2: Enter your ration card number and the captcha code that you see on the screen.

Step 3: Click on “Get RC Details” to know the linking status of your Aadhaar and ration card.

FAQs on Aadhaar and Ration Card Link: