- Why in news
- On 18 June 2026, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the Smart Warehousing System for foodgrain storage at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The best 20 CWC and FCI warehouses under the Depot Darpan framework were also felicitated.
- What it is
- The Smart Warehousing System is a Department of Food and Public Distribution platform that puts AI and IoT tools into public sector foodgrain warehouses. It covers gate automation, access control, bag counting, environment monitoring and surveillance. It supports the storage end of the food security chain that feeds the Public Distribution System.
- Launched by
- The Department of Food and Public Distribution launched it, with Pralhad Joshi inaugurating it at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- Coverage
- It is implemented in 215 bag-based CWC warehouses. FCI is deploying it in 150 more.
- Technologies
- It uses FASTag and ANPR gate automation, geo-tagged smart locks, AI bag counting, face recognition, object detection, IoT environment monitoring, and AI surveillance for fire, smoke and rodents.
- Expected benefits
- Lower vehicle turnaround time, more transparency, better compliance monitoring, early hazard detection and real-time visibility.
- Depot Darpan
- It is an assessment framework used to identify the best performing CWC and FCI warehouses; 20 were felicitated.
- PDS reach
- The Minister said PDS covers over 80 crore beneficiaries.
Don’t confuse with CWC vs FCI: FCI procures, stores and distributes foodgrain for the central pool. CWC is a warehousing corporation that provides storage.
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
- Better storage can cut grain losses and strengthen the food security system that serves PDS beneficiaries.
- Digital records and real-time monitoring improve transparency and accountability in depots.
Problems
- Rollout across hundreds of old depots needs capital, reliable power and connectivity, and trained staff.
- Digital systems raise data security and system-failure concerns, and gains depend on action at the field level.
Way forward
- Extend the system in phases to more depots, with independent audits of loss and turnaround data.
- Train depot staff and integrate the data with PDS supply chain platforms.
Put in your answer
PDS coverage: Over 80 crore beneficiaries are covered under PDS, so storage quality matters at scale.
Ration card cleaning: Over 2.43 crore ineligible ration cards were identified and removed through digital reforms.
- 2019Mains GS3 · Q13Reformative steps taken to make food grain distribution system more effective.
- 2024Mains GS3 · Q14Importance of buffer stocks for price stability, and challenges in storing them.
- 2022Mains GS3 · Q3Major challenges of PDS in India and how to make it effective.
- 2019Prelims Q79Economic cost of foodgrains to FCI includes what besides MSP and bonus?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: New AI and IoT system across 215 CWC warehouses is on the syllabus, but few stable facts for a Prelims statement.
Source: PIB, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, 18 Jun, 18:44 IST · Release 290212
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.