Cabinet approved SARTHAK-PDS scheme to modernise Public Distribution System with ₹25,530 crore outlay over five years until March 2031. Scheme integrates assistance for intra-state foodgrain transport and SMART PDS modernisation. Covers 81.35 crore NFSA beneficiaries through unified national databases, AI-enabled analytics, and automated grievance systems. Aims to improve transparency, reduce leakages, and strengthen last-mile delivery through standardised digital processes and ISO-certified protocols under Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

SARTHAK-PDS represents a paradigm shift in India's food distribution architecture, addressing decades-old inefficiencies in the world's largest food security programme. The scheme's integration of transport assistance with technological modernisation tackles two critical pain points: high operational costs for states and systemic leakages estimated at 10-15% of allocated grains. By creating unified databases and real-time monitoring, it enables predictive analytics for demand forecasting and supply chain optimisation. The AI-enabled dashboards allow state governments to track grain movement from godowns to Fair Price Shops, while automated grievance redressal reduces bureaucratic delays. For India's federal food security framework, this represents crucial coordination between Centre's procurement role through FCI and states' distribution responsibilities. The scheme's timing coincides with rising food inflation concerns and the need to optimise subsidy expenditure approaching ₹2 lakh crore annually. Success could serve as a template for digitising other welfare schemes, while failure would impact 81.35 crore beneficiaries dependent on subsidised grains under NFSA's AAY and PHH categories.