The central government has launched a major cleanup drive to remove ineligible ration card holders.
For the first time, the Department of Food and Public Distribution has created a detailed list identifying individuals who are not eligible to receive free food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
This list includes 1.17 crore people across India.
Who Is Considered Ineligible?
According to the department, the following three categories of people have been marked ineligible:
People who own a four-wheeler (car)
Individuals who pay income tax
People listed as directors in any company
After matching data across government systems, it was found that:
94.71 lakh people are income taxpayers
17.51 lakh own cars
5.31 lakh are company directors
How Was This Data Collected?
The government cross-verified ration card data with records from:
The Income Tax Department
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Using this information, officials identified people who are financially better off and not entitled to subsidised or free food under government schemes.
What Happens Next?
The central government has directed all states and union territories to verify this new list and remove ineligible names by September 30, 2025.
The goal is to ensure that ration cards are held only by those who truly need government assistance.
In a letter to state governments, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra stated that many duplicate and inactive cards have already been identified through the Ration Card Management System (RCMS).
The new integrated data system will make the process of identifying ineligible cardholders even more accurate.
Why Is This Important?
Officials say that by removing ineligible names, the government can include people from the waiting list who are genuinely eligible.
This step is also aimed at improving the transparency and efficiency of the Food Security Act and related welfare schemes.
This Has Happened Before
Between 2021 and 2023, the government cancelled around 1.34 crore fake or ineligible ration cards. The NFSA currently covers 81.35 crore people, including:
75% of the rural population
50% of the urban population
Eligible families continue to receive free food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
