- Why in news
- On 27 May 2026 the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved SARTHAK-PDS, an umbrella scheme merging two PDS schemes, with Rs 25,530 crore of Central share up to 31 March 2031.
- What it is
- SARTHAK-PDS stands for Scheme for Assistance in Ration Transport and Handling-Income with Automation in PDS. It merges central help for intra-State foodgrain movement and FPS dealers' margin with the SMART PDS technology reform scheme. It supports delivery of foodgrains under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
- Outlay
- Central share of Rs 25,530 crore in the 16th Finance Commission cycle.
- Merged schemes
- Two ongoing schemes are integrated: intra-State movement and FPS dealers' margin under NFSA, and SMART PDS.
- Technology
- Uses AI, ML, NLP and Blockchain, State Command Control Centres and ISO-certified process frameworks.
- Coverage
- Serves 81.35 crore persons covered under NFSA.
- SMART PDS
- Since 1 April 2023 it has driven digitisation of ration cards, Aadhaar seeding, e-PoS and online allocation across 36 States/UTs.
Don’t confuse with SARTHAK-PDS vs SMART PDS: SMART PDS is only the technology reform scheme; SARTHAK-PDS is the umbrella that also funds movement, handling and FPS dealers' margin.
Don’t confuse with NFSA vs TPDS: NFSA, 2013 is the law giving entitlements; TPDS is the delivery system for them.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Assured funding for transport, handling and dealer margin supports last-mile delivery of NFSA entitlements.
- Technology and unified databases can cut leakages and improve transparency in the PDS.
Problems
- States differ in digital readiness, and Aadhaar or e-PoS failures can exclude genuine beneficiaries.
- Heavy dependence on AI and blockchain raises data privacy, cost and capacity concerns.
Way forward
- Keep non-digital fallback for beneficiaries and strengthen grievance redress.
- Build State capacity and data protection safeguards, with independent audits of leakages.
Put in your answer
NFSA coverage: 81.35 crore persons are covered under NFSA.
Digital PDS initiatives: Examples include IM-PDS, Mera Ration, Anna Mitra and Anna Sahayata.
- 2019Mains GS3 · Q13What reformative steps has Government taken to make food grain distribution more effective?
- 2021Mains GS3 · Q13What are the salient features of NFSA 2013 and its impact on hunger?
- 2022Mains GS3 · Q3What are major PDS challenges, and how can it be made effective and transparent?
- 2004Prelims Q9Which statement about TPDS, Annapurna and food grain schemes is NOT correct?
- 2004Prelims Q77Which statements on procurement, MSP and TPDS uniform central issue prices are correct?
- 2001Prelims Q33Name the prices Government pays for PDS and buffer stock food grains.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.SARTHAK-PDS is an umbrella scheme that integrates the scheme for intra-State movement of foodgrains and FPS dealers' margin with SMART PDS.
- 2.The approved Central share outlay for SARTHAK-PDS is Rs 25,530 crore, and the merged scheme is to operate up to 31 March 2031.
- 3.SARTHAK-PDS excludes financial assistance for FPS dealers' margin and focuses only on technology reforms in the Public Distribution System.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 4
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.SARTHAK-PDS is an umbrella scheme that integrates two existing schemes, including SMART PDS.
True. It merges the intra-State movement/FPS margin scheme and SMART PDS.
2.The Central share outlay approved for the scheme is Rs 25,530 crore.
True. Rs 25,530 crore as Central share in the 16th Finance Commission cycle.
3.The scheme aims to strengthen implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
True. Its stated purpose is to strengthen NFSA implementation.
4.The scheme proposes to use technologies such as AI, Machine Learning and Blockchain in PDS operations.
True. AI, ML, NLP and Blockchain are named.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
The Union Cabinet has recently approved SARTHAK-PDS, an umbrella scheme merging the assistance scheme for intra-State foodgrain movement and FPS dealers' margin with SMART PDS, with a Central share of Rs 25,530 crore up to 2031. Examine the main provisions of the scheme and discuss its significance and the challenges in using technology to strengthen the delivery of foodgrains under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.