Ration cards help the members of the economically underprivileged sections of the society with the procurement of essential products and commodities at heavily subsidised rates. Earlier there were four different types of ration cards issued by the state government on the basis of yearly income. These are as follows:
The kinds of ration cards that are issued by several Indian states under the old TPDS regime are as follows:
The BPL ration cards are issued to individuals that live below the state-defined poverty line. The same is subject to constant change.
The APL ration cards are given to those individuals who live above the state-defined poverty line. The poverty line is redefined on a periodical basis.
Any household that is an owner of a PHH ration card will receive 5 kgs of food grains per person every month at a subsidised price. Such cardholders are charged ₹3 for a kg of rice, while they can procure wheat for as low as ₹2 and grains for ₹1. These prices are fixed by the Reserve Bank of India and are revised on a periodical basis.
Households that are issued the AAY ration card are entitled to approximately 35 kgs of food grains. Rice and wheat are issued at the scale of 20 kgs and 15 kgs respectively. The rates that are charged for a kilogram of rice and wheat to an AAY ration cardholder is ₹3 and ₹2 respectively.
Single men or women with no family/societal support.
Disabled people, widows, terminally ill individuals and persons aged above 60 years or those households that are headed by such persons.
Agricultural labourers who are not landowners.
Marginalised members of the farming brethren.
Households that are a part of primitive tribal groups.
People employed as rickshaw pullers, daily labourers, etc
They should not be above 65 years of age.
They must not have a stable source of income.
People earn their livelihood on a daily basis by working in informal sectors.
In case you end up moving to a new city, you’d need your ration card to be transferred as well. In order to do this, you can send an application to the nearest ration office in your jurisdiction stating that you need your ration card to be transferred.
You need to submit an application, proof of your new address and pay the application fee. After your application has been processed, your ration card transfer will begin.
The various types of ration cards available in India should give you a fair idea of the strong Public Distribution System (PDS) we have in the country. Each type of ration card comes with its own benefits and eligibility criteria. To benefit from the PDS network in place, check which card you are eligible for and apply for the same.
You can even use your ration card as a proof of identity or address when you borrow funds from banks and NBFCs. If you are planning to check off the goal of owning a house, visit Bajaj Markets today to avail a home loan at competitive interest rates.
A total of 5 types of ration cards are issued by the state governments of India. These are-
1. Above Poverty Line (APL) Ration Cards
2. Below Poverty Line (BPL) Ration Cards
3. Annapoorna Yojana (AY) Ration Cards
4. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) Ration Card, and
5. Priority Household (PHH) Ration Card
Note: Some states issue the first three types of ration cards under the National Food Security Act of 2013. Other states issue the last two types through their respective Targeted Public Distribution Systems (TPDS).
Economically underserved households who are living on charities and/or do not have a shelter are eligible for PHH ration cards. The likes of primitive tribal group members and widowed women living on pension are eligible for a PHH card too. Additionally, people with disabled bodies and members of the transgender community can apply for a PHH ration card as well.
The National Food Security Act was put into effect in 2013 with the intention of making food items available at subsidised rates to two-thirds of the Indian population. The act was enforced on 12th September 2013. Under the act, two types of ration cards were issued- Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration card and the Priority Household (PHH) ration cards.
Ration cards are issued in three different colours, i.e., yellow, saffron and white. Each colour indicates a different economic class and comes with unique features.