The Union Food and Public Distribution Ministry on Tuesday launched several digital initiatives aimed at modernising warehousing operations, improving supply chain efficiency, and enhancing transparency across the Public Distribution System (PDS).
A major initiative is the Anna Sahayata Holistic AI Solution (ASHA), an AI-based platform that allows beneficiaries to share their feedback on ration distribution through AI-enabled calls in their preferred language. According to the Ministry, the platform runs at a cost of ₹5 lakh, which is much less than maintaining a call centre to reach out to the PDS beneficiaries.
Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the schemes at an event in Bharat Mandapam. The government said through ASHA, beneficiaries can report whether they received their full entitlement, the quality of foodgrains, and any difficulty faced at Fair Price Shops.
“The system uses multilingual translation, sentiment analysis, automated grievance categorisation and real-time dashboards for administrators. ASHA reaches 20 lakh beneficiaries monthly across India, developed in partnership with Wadhwani Foundation and backed by India AI mission via Bhashini’s multilingual AI infrastructure,” the government said.
