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Government Services

Ration Card e-KYC and Aadhaar Linking: Steps and Deadlines

Every ration card member must complete Aadhaar e-KYC at a fair price shop or via the Mera eKYC app; states set the deadline.

AI

Written by Ananya Iyer

Published 6 October 2026·6 min read

On this page8 sections
Credsir Government Services guide cover with a id card icon

Every member listed on an NFSA ration card has to complete Aadhaar e-KYC. You can do it at any fair price shop with a fingerprint or iris scan on the ePoS machine, or at home through the Mera eKYC app using an Aadhaar OTP and a face scan. Deadlines are set by each state. Under central rules, e-KYC must be repeated every five years.

Key facts

Item Detail
Rule Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2015, amended by G.S.R. 488(E) dated 22 July 2025
Who Every member on the ration card; children within one year after turning five
How often Every five years
Where Any fair price shop (ePoS), or the Mera eKYC app at home
Modes at the shop Single finger, fusion finger, iris, or Aadhaar OTP
National progress 90.64% of beneficiaries done as on 30 July 2026
Deadline Set by your state (Karnataka: 30 September 2026)
Unused cards Temporarily disabled after six months, then a three-month e-KYC window; new process goes live on 1 October 2026

Why ration card e-KYC is required

The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) amended the TPDS (Control) Order on 22 July 2025. States now have to review beneficiary lists regularly and carry out mandatory e-KYC every five years. The amendment also says:

  • Aadhaar numbers of children below five are captured if available, and their e-KYC is done within one year after they turn five.
  • Nobody can hold a separate ration card before turning 18.
  • Cards whose entitlement has not been drawn for six months are disabled temporarily. The state then does e-KYC with field verification within three months to decide eligibility.

At the State Food Secretaries’ conference on 1 September 2026, DFPD said a new procedure for silent (unused) and duplicate cards would go live in SMART-PDS from 1 October 2026. It provides for temporary disablement followed by a three-month e-KYC revalidation window. If your family has not drawn ration for a while, finish e-KYC now.

Aadhaar seeding and e-KYC are different steps. Seeding links an Aadhaar number to a member on the card. e-KYC confirms, through a biometric or OTP check, that the member is that Aadhaar holder. Uttar Pradesh shows the gap: all 3.65 crore of its NFSA cards are Aadhaar-seeded, but e-KYC covered 93.9% of beneficiaries, according to a Rajya Sabha answer of 11 August 2026.

Doing e-KYC at the ration shop

  1. Take your ration card number and each member’s Aadhaar to any fair price shop.
  2. Ask the dealer to start e-KYC for each member on the ePoS device.
  3. Each member gives a fingerprint or iris scan. The machine fetches their details from UIDAI.
  4. Note the result for each member. Ask the dealer to retry with fusion-finger or iris mode if a fingerprint fails.

DFPD’s advisory of 25 June 2024 lets you do e-KYC at a shop outside your home state. States using NIC’s common ePoS software could offer this at once. Ten states that run their own software, including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, were asked to build it with NIC. The home state’s officer then compares your Aadhaar details with the card record. A mismatch triggers field verification, and a rejected e-KYC can be started again.

Every member must be present in person, since the check is biometric. The Centre told the Rajya Sabha in February 2026 that fusion-finger authentication succeeds about 99% of the time.

Online e-KYC with the Mera eKYC app

The Mera eKYC app, published by NIC, lets ration card holders complete Aadhaar-based face authentication from a phone. The Centre confirmed in Parliament that it allows e-KYC without visiting a shop.

  1. Install Mera eKYC from the Google Play Store. Also install UIDAI’s AadhaarFaceRD app, which handles the face capture.
  2. Open Mera eKYC and select your state.
  3. Enter the member’s Aadhaar number and the OTP sent to the mobile number linked to that Aadhaar.
  4. Complete the live face scan in good light, facing the camera, with glasses removed.
  5. Wait for the final result screen and take a screenshot of it.

The OTP goes only to the mobile number registered in Aadhaar. If that number is old, update it first; our guide to the Aadhaar mobile number update shows how. Ration e-KYC is separate from e-KYC for other schemes such as PM-Kisan e-KYC, so one does not complete the other.

Checking whether e-KYC is done

ItemDetails
At the shopthe dealer can see each member’s e-KYC status on the ePoS machine.
Mera Ration appshows your card’s member details, entitlement, last distribution and nearest shop, and lets you file a grievance.
State food portalmost states show member-wise details on their ration card or transparency portal. Karnataka, for example, publishes district-wise e-KYC counts on ahara.karnataka.gov.in.
NFSA portalMy RC Details on nfsa.gov.in searches by ration card number and links to each state’s portal.

Our guide to ration card status and card types explains application stages and what AAY and PHH cards entitle you to.

Failed authentication: options

ItemDetails
Fingerprint not matchingask for iris or fusion-finger mode. Repeated failures can mean your Aadhaar biometrics need updating at an Aadhaar centre.
Name or details mismatchthe home-state officer does a field check before approving or rejecting. Correct the error on the card or in Aadhaar, then retry.
Face scan fails on the appuse the shop’s ePoS machine instead.
Ration refused meanwhileDFPD has told states that no eligible household should be denied grain because of a biometric, network or seeding failure. Another member on the card can authenticate, or a nominee can collect in exceptional cases.

The Centre told the Lok Sabha on 22 July 2026 that states had not reported any card cancelled solely for missing e-KYC. States do list e-KYC mismatches among reasons for deletion, along with duplicates, deaths and permanent migration.

For complaints, call your state’s 1967 or 1800-series toll-free helpline, use Anna Sahayata on WhatsApp or IVRS, file in the Mera Ration app, or go to CPGRAMS, where the disposal timeline is 21 days.

Frequently asked questions

Is ration card e-KYC mandatory?

Yes. The TPDS (Control) Order, as amended on 22 July 2025, requires e-KYC of beneficiaries every five years.

What is the last date for ration card e-KYC?

There is no single national date. Each state sets its own; Karnataka, for example, has set 30 September 2026. Check your state food department’s notice.

Can I do ration card e-KYC online?

Yes, with the Mera eKYC app. You need an Aadhaar-linked mobile number for the OTP and a phone camera for the face scan.

Is Aadhaar seeding the same as e-KYC?

No. Seeding links the Aadhaar number to your card, while e-KYC verifies each member through a biometric or OTP check.

Can I do e-KYC in another state?

Yes, at a fair price shop there, under DFPD’s June 2024 advisory. States running their own ePoS software may still be rolling this out.

Will my ration card be cancelled if e-KYC is pending?

The Centre says no card has been reported cancelled solely for that reason. Cards unused for six months can be disabled temporarily until e-KYC and verification are done.

Do children need e-KYC?

Children under five are added with Aadhaar if available. Their e-KYC is due within one year after they turn five.

Sources

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