Discuss how contactless face authentication in the PDS could reduce exclusion errors, and the safeguards it needs.

An exclusion error happens when an eligible person is denied their entitlement. The risk is high in the PDS because about 99.8% of ration cards are seeded with Aadhaar [3], so Aadhaar authentication is now the main way to get NFSA grain. Face Authentication for ePDS was launched by UIDAI, DFPD and NIC in September 2026 [1]. It can make this check fail less often, but only if strong safeguards come with it.

How face authentication reduces exclusion

• Helps when fingerprints fail: manual labourers and the elderly often have worn fingerprints. Face checks give them another way to pass at the ePoS machine [1].
• An extra option, not a replacement: it sits alongside fingerprint and OTP in UIDAI's multi-modal authentication [1][2].
• Contactless and consent-based: there is no shared scanner, which suits the infirm and persons with disabilities [1].
• Supports portability: under ONORC, migrants can collect grain from any ration shop [3]. A second biometric option cuts failures far from home.
• Tested at scale: it is an in-house AI/ML solution with over 130.5 crore transactions [7].

What it cannot fix

• Authentication also fails because of poor connectivity, OTP errors and faulty devices [2]. A ration shop that is offline fails face checks just as it fails fingerprint checks.

Safeguards needed

• Enforce the fallback: DFPD says no genuine beneficiary may be denied grain because authentication fails, and other IDs must be accepted [4]. States should write this into their PDS orders and check it through ration-shop audits.
• Privacy firewall: under the Aadhaar Act, biometrics may be used only for enrolment and authentication. Unauthorised access to the database carries up to 3 years' jail and a minimum ₹10 lakh fine [5]. Ration shops should not store face images.
• Anti-spoofing: UIDAI is seeking real-time detection of deepfakes and mask attacks that works across demographics, devices and environments [6]. This should be built into ePoS apps.
• Transparency: publish State-wise data on how often authentication fails and how often the fallback is actually used.
• Capacity and federal buy-in: States choose whether to integrate it [1]. They need camera-enabled ePoS devices, network access and grievance redress.

Conclusion: Face authentication means one failed check no longer has to lock a person out. It narrows biometric exclusion but does not remove exclusion altogether. Technology combined with an enforced fallback, privacy protection and public data can make food security under the NFSA real. This supports SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and the Article 21 right to live with dignity.