Face authentication added as option at ration shops for those whose fingerprints fail
UIDAI has introduced face authentication for e-PDS from October 1, 2026, as an additional option where fingerprints do not match.
Free foodgrain supplied by the government is distributed at ration shops. Earlier, grain was given on the basis of a name alone. As technology advanced, the system changed, and grain began to be issued only after a fingerprint biometric match.
That method too has run into problems. Fingerprints sometimes do not match. Among the elderly, worn prints often fail to register at all, making it hard for them to get their grain. The government has now found a remedy, and the hassle of giving a thumbprint at ration shops is set to end.
Along with biometrics, the government has introduced another option. UIDAI began face authentication for e-PDS on September 29, 2026. The system has been in force since October 1, 2026. It will bring relief to those whose fingerprints are not recorded properly on the machine.
At present, beneficiaries at ration shops are identified through Aadhaar-linked biometric verification on the e-POS machine, which usually takes fingerprints. If the machine did not read the prints properly, verification could not be completed. Under the new system, face verification will be the option in such cases. The machine or the related system will verify the beneficiary's face.
According to UIDAI, face verification is a contactless, consent-based method of establishing identity. However, this does not mean the need for fingerprints to obtain ration will end entirely. Face verification is being added only as an additional identification option.
Many people have trouble with fingerprints not matching. The machine often cannot read the prints of the elderly properly. People who do manual work constantly may also face problems with their prints. They may have to go through verification repeatedly when collecting grain. Face recognition can give these beneficiaries relief.
There is one condition. The facility will be available only if face recognition is available in the e-POS machine and e-PDS system of that ration shop. It will not necessarily be implemented at every shop at the same time.
The process of incorporating the face recognition system into e-PDS is being started from October 1, 2026. UIDAI has introduced it as an additional method of identification in the ration distribution system. The facility can be added to the e-PDS systems of states and Union Territories.
