Ration card e-KYC is the Aadhaar-based verification the government now requires for every person listed on a ration card, not just the head of the household, to keep receiving subsidised foodgrains under the Public Distribution System.
You can complete it online through your state's PDS portal, through the Mera Ration app, by a face scan using Mera eKYC, or offline at any Fair Price Shop, all free of cost.
Most states set April 30, 2026 as the completion deadline, which has already passed, so this guide leads with what that means for a card that is still unverified today.
Important Links
| Service | Link |
|---|---|
| National Food Security Act portal | nfsa.gov.in |
| State PDS portal directory | All state ration card portals |
| Official app (OTP-based status and Aadhaar seeding) | Mera Ration (App Store and Google Play) |
| Official app (face authentication e-KYC) | Mera eKYC, used with UIDAI's Aadhaar FaceRD app |
| Offline verification | Nearest Fair Price Shop (FPS) e-PoS machine, or a Common Service Centre (CSC) where available |
The 2026 e-KYC Deadline: What It Means if You Missed It
Most states worked toward a central government target of April 30, 2026 to complete ration card e-KYC, though the exact date varied: Bihar's cutoff was February 28 and Tamil Nadu's was February 25, 2026.
That national target has already passed as of this writing. Deadlines for this exercise have been pushed back more than once in earlier rounds, so treat any single date as a guide rather than a hard national rule, and check your own state's PDS portal for its current status.
A card or an individual member that missed the window is typically flagged unauthenticated rather than deleted outright, and most states keep the online portal, Mera Ration app, and Fair Price Shop route open for late verification, since the goal is getting genuine beneficiaries verified, not permanently excluding late filers.
What Is Ration Card e-KYC?
Ration card e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) is an Aadhaar-based digital verification that confirms every person named on a ration card is a real, correctly identified beneficiary under the Public Distribution System.
Once a beneficiary completes Aadhaar-based OTP or biometric authentication, UIDAI shares basic demographic details, name, date of birth, address, gender, and photograph, with the state Food and Civil Supplies Department for validation.
State officers then compare that data against the existing PDS database entry to confirm the cardholder's identity and remove duplicate or fake entries, which is the same underlying goal as Aadhaar-based verification used for the EPIC number on a Voter ID card.
Who Needs to Complete e-KYC?
Every individual named on the ration card needs to complete e-KYC separately, not just the head of household who typically manages the card.
This is a common point of confusion: a household where only the head of family completed verification can still show as partially unauthenticated, since the remaining members' entitlements depend on their own individual e-KYC status.
How to Complete Ration Card e-KYC Online via State PDS Portal
Online e-KYC only works if your Aadhaar is already linked to your ration card. If it isn't linked yet, do that first through the same portal's Aadhaar linking option before attempting e-KYC.
Go to your state's official PDS portal
Use the state-wise links further down this page, or the national directory at nfsa.gov.in.
Open the e-KYC section
Look under "Ration Card Services," "e-Services," or "Update Details" on the homepage.
Enter your ration card number
Confirm that the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar is active before continuing.
Verify the OTP
Enter the OTP sent to your registered mobile number to confirm your Aadhaar details.
Confirm e-KYC completion
The portal updates your status once verification succeeds; recheck it anytime under the status section.
How to Complete e-KYC Using the Mera Ration App
Mera Ration is the Department of Food and Public Distribution's own mobile app, and it works as a reliable fallback when a state portal is slow or temporarily unavailable.
Download Mera Ration
Install it from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Open Aadhaar Seeding
Select this option from the app's home screen.
Enter your ration card number
Submit the number to pull up your household record.
Review each member's status
The app lists every family member on the card and shows whether their Aadhaar seeding and e-KYC is complete.
How to Complete e-KYC by Face Authentication
Face authentication lets a beneficiary complete e-KYC entirely from home, with no fingerprint scanner and no visit to a Fair Price Shop.
Install Mera eKYC and Aadhaar FaceRD
Both apps, from UIDAI and the food department respectively, are needed on an Android smartphone.
Open Mera eKYC and select your member
Choose the family member on the ration card who is completing verification.
Complete the face scan
Mera eKYC hands off to the Aadhaar FaceRD app, which captures and matches a live face scan against Aadhaar records.
Confirm completion
Once the scan succeeds, that member's e-KYC status updates automatically.
RD Calculator
Building even a small recurring deposit alongside subsidised food savings is a realistic first step toward a financial cushion. See what a modest monthly amount grows to.
How to Complete Ration Card e-KYC Offline at a Fair Price Shop
Offline verification is the right choice when your state doesn't offer online e-KYC, or when your Aadhaar isn't linked to your ration card yet.
Visit your nearest Fair Price Shop
Bring your ration card or its number and your Aadhaar card.
Ask the dealer to start e-KYC on the e-PoS machine
The dealer pulls up your household record using the ration card number.
Provide your fingerprint or iris scan
This biometric data is matched against your Aadhaar record through the e-PoS device.
Confirm completion
Once matched successfully, your e-KYC is marked complete at that shop.
In several states, a Common Service Centre (CSC) can also run this same biometric verification, which is worth checking if the nearest Fair Price Shop has a long queue or a broken e-PoS device.
How to Check Ration Card e-KYC Status Online
Go to your state's PDS portal
Use the state-wise directory further down this page.
Find the e-KYC or Aadhaar Seeding status option
This is usually labelled "e-KYC Status" or "Aadhaar Linking Status."
Enter your Aadhaar or ration card number
Type in whichever identifier the portal asks for.
Click Check Status
The screen confirms whether e-KYC is complete for each member, or still pending.
State-Wise Ration Card e-KYC Portals
Each link below routes through the National Food Security Act portal's own state directory, which stays current even when an individual state website changes its domain, a real risk given how often state government portals migrate.
Documents Required for Ration Card e-KYC
The same Aadhaar-based identity document also underpins financial KYC elsewhere, from opening a bank account to filing an income tax return, so keeping your Aadhaar details current benefits more than just your ration card.
How e-KYC Powers One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)
Completed e-KYC is what makes ONORC portability technically possible, since it verifies a beneficiary's identity centrally rather than only at their home Fair Price Shop.
Once verified, a migrant worker or any beneficiary can draw their entitled foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop across India, not just the one tied to the state that originally issued their card.
This matters most for interstate migrant workers, who can now access subsidised grain in the state where they currently work without transferring their ration card or losing their original household's entitlement back home.
What Happens if You Don't Complete e-KYC
Common e-KYC Problems and How to Fix Them
| Issue | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Online e-KYC option not available | Some states haven’t enabled online e-KYC yet | Use the Mera Ration or Mera eKYC app, or visit a Fair Price Shop instead |
| OTP never arrives | Aadhaar-linked mobile number is inactive or was changed | Update your mobile number on the state portal first, or use the biometric or face-authentication route, which doesn’t need OTP |
| Portal shows Aadhaar not linked | Aadhaar was never seeded against this ration card | Complete Aadhaar linking on the same portal before attempting e-KYC |
| One family member still shows unverified | e-KYC is tracked per person, not per card | That specific member needs to complete verification individually, through any available method |
| e-PoS machine at the Fair Price Shop isn’t working | Device fault or network issue at that specific shop | Try a Common Service Centre if available, or a different nearby Fair Price Shop |
| Card shows unauthenticated despite completing e-KYC | Processing delay between the FPS/app and the state database | Wait a few days and recheck status online; contact the local Food and Civil Supplies office if it persists beyond a week |
Quick Reference: Which Method Should You Use?
- Aadhaar already linked, mobile active: use your state's online PDS portal for the fastest OTP-based e-KYC.
- State portal slow or unavailable: use the Mera Ration app as a direct fallback.
- No fingerprint scanner nearby, but you have a smartphone: use Mera eKYC with Aadhaar FaceRD for face-based verification at home.
- Aadhaar not linked yet, or no smartphone access: visit the nearest Fair Price Shop for biometric verification through the e-PoS machine.
PPF Calculator
A small, government-backed savings habit is worth building alongside subsidised essentials. See what regular PPF contributions grow to over time.
Frequently Asked Questions: Ration Card e-KYC
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and links directly to official state PDS portals and the National Food Security Act portal. Fermor is not affiliated with any state Food and Civil Supplies Department, does not process ration card applications or e-KYC, and never asks for your Aadhaar number, ration card number, or OTP. Deadlines, portal names, and app names reflect published government information as of the date above and can change or vary by state; always verify current details on your state's PDS portal or nfsa.gov.in before relying on them.