Chandigarh, Aug 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday launched a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system under which eligible Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) beneficiaries will receive their food subsidy directly into their CBDC wallets instead of conventional bank account transfers, and use it to purchase foodgrains from empanelled merchants through a secure, traceable and real-time digital payment mechanism. Chouhan said the initiative marks an important step towards bringing greater transparency, security, and timeliness to the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Update on Free Wheat, Rice, Pulses, Oil, and Sugar for Ration Card Holders in India (2025) Recent reports and government announcements indicate significant updates to India’s Public Distribution System (PDS), particularly under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and related schemes, providing free or subsidized wheat, rice, pulses, oil, and sugar to ration card holders. While specific details about a three-month free ration program including…

The Union Government informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that Jammu and Kashmir has deleted nearly 50,000 ration cards between 2021 and 2025 as part of a nationwide verification drive under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). According to details received by The Chenab Times, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public […]

India’s government has launched targeted initiatives like NFSA, PMGKAY, and PM POSHAN to ensure food and nutritional security

New Delhi, Oct 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) Initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and Poshan Abhiyan have been crucial in advancing food security in the country, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday on World Food Day. World Food Day is observed every year on October 16 to raise awareness about food security, nutrition, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Chamoli, July 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Residents of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand are among the millions of beneficiaries availing free food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a flagship public welfare scheme of the Central government. As part of this initiative, over 80 crore economically weaker individuals across the country receive wheat and rice free of cost every month.

The Winter Session of Parliament resumes with a special discussion on the Constitution and various important bills, including amendments to banking, railways, and oilfields laws, alongside critical re...

NEW DELHI: The Centre has decided to “temporarily discontinue” the fortification of rice distributed under the free foodgrain scheme (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes, following a comprehensive review of its implementation and effectiveness.The decision was taken on Friday after a study conducted by IIT-Kharagpur, which assessed the shelf life of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and Fortified Rice (FR) under real storage conditions across diverse agro-climatic zones in the country. The study found that key factors such as moisture content, temperature, relative humidity, storage conditions and packaging materials “critically” affect the stability of fortified rice.As per an official release, the study concluded that FRK and FR are “susceptible to micronutrient reduction and shortening of shelf life during prolonged storage and routine handling.

NEW DELHI: Over two crore ineligible beneficiaries have been weeded out from free foodgrain scheme PMGKAY in the past four to five months while new eligible people are being included in the programme. Simultaneously, the govt on Tuesday launched an online platform that allows beneficiaries to share their feedback on ration distribution through AI-enabled calls in their preferred language.Confirming the deletion of ineligible beneficiaries, food secretary Sanjeev Chopra said the exercise has been undertaken to ensure better targeting of “rightful” beneficiaries while eligible beneficiaries are being added to the scheme by state govts.Officials said the food and public distribution department at the Centre identified the ineligible beneficiaries on parameters such as deceased, income tax payee, govt service, four-wheeler ownership and directors of entities.

NEW DELHI: Amid the govt’s push to weed out ineligible beneficiaries under free ration scheme PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), the food ministry will review the progress of states on Monday at a meeting of state food secretaries, where the initial paddy procurement target will also be finalised.Sources said states such as Odisha and Rajasthan have made good progress as they took up the initiative even before the Centre wrote to states for the intensive drive.

2025 में फ्री राशन योजना में बड़ा बदलाव भारत सरकार द्वारा चलाई जा रही प्रधानमंत्री गरीब कल्याण अन्न योजना (PMGKAY) के अंतर्गत करोड़ों लोगों को मुफ्त राशन दिया जा रहा है। लेकिन 2025 में सरकार ने इस योजना में कुछ अहम बदलाव किए हैं, जो हर राशन कार्ड धारक को जानना जरूरी है। क्या है नया नियम? 2025 से सरकार ने कुछ नई पात्रता और नियम लागू किए हैं, जिनके अनुसार सभी को मुफ्त राशन नहीं मिलेगा:

New Delhi, Feb 28 (LatestNewsX) The government has decided to temporarily discontinue fortification of rice until a more robust and effective nutrient delivery mechanism is developed and operationalised. According to Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the government reviewed the implementation of rice fortification under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes. This decision of temporary discontinuation of fortification process does not entail any reduction in food-grain entitlements and will not affect operations under the PDS, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), or the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, it said.

Raipur, Feb 26 (LatestNewsX) The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) is proving to be a boon for poor families in the Naxal-affected areas of Mohla-Manpur and Ambagarh Chowki districts of Chhattisgarh. Under this scheme, those eligible for government ration are receiving free rice, gram, sugar, and salt every month. This has brought a transformational change in the lives of farmers by enabling them to live a respected and dignified life while improving their economic condition.

NEW DELHI: Over two crore ineligible beneficiaries have been weeded out from free foodgrain scheme PMGKAY in the past four to five months while new eligible people are being included in the programme. Simultaneously, the govt on Tuesday launched an online platform that allows beneficiaries to share their feedback on ration distribution through AI-enabled calls in their preferred language.Confirming the deletion of ineligible beneficiaries, food secretary Sanjeev Chopra said the exercise has been undertaken to ensure better targeting of “rightful” beneficiaries while eligible beneficiaries are being added to the scheme by state govts.Officials said the food and public distribution department at the Centre identified the ineligible beneficiaries on parameters such as deceased, income tax payee, govt service, four-wheeler ownership and directors of entities.