Karnataka Expands Anna Seve App for Ration Card e-KYC

Karnataka made the Anna Seve mobile application available statewide from 14 October 2026. The app enables beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System (PDS), including people covered by Anna Bhagya, to complete electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) verification for ration cards from home.

Ration card e-KYC and digital verification

e-KYC is an electronic process for verifying a person’s identity and associated records. The Anna Seve service allows beneficiaries to complete ration-card verification without visiting a fair price shop or a government office. Beneficiaries who completed e-KYC more than a year earlier are also required to repeat the process.

The app was launched on 1 October 2026 by Karnataka’s Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad. The state developed it in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre and the Department of e-Governance. It is available through the Google Play Store. Users need the Anna Seve, AadhaarFaceRD and CSC applications to use the digital service.

Public Distribution System in India

The PDS is a government food-security system that distributes specified food grains and other essential commodities through a network of fair price shops. The National Food Security Act, 2013 provides a legal framework for subsidised food-grain entitlements to eligible households. PDS ration cards are used to identify eligible households and record their access to these benefits.

Anna Bhagya is a Karnataka State food-security scheme associated with PDS beneficiaries. The Anna Seve app provides a digital route for beneficiaries to verify their ration-card details. The statewide service followed a pilot in eight Karnataka districts from 1 to 12 October 2026.

Coverage and e-KYC deadline

During the pilot, 1,60,267 beneficiaries completed e-KYC using the app. As of 12 October 2026, 2,06,76,278 of Karnataka’s 2,67,64,276 beneficiaries had completed e-KYC. The deadline for all beneficiaries to complete the process was set for 20 October 2026.

Important Facts for Exams

• The National Food Security Act was enacted in 2013 and provides for subsidised food-grain entitlements to eligible households.
• The Public Distribution System uses fair price shops to distribute commodities to eligible beneficiaries.
• The National Informatics Centre is a Government of India institution that provides information and communication technology support to public administration.
• The Anna Seve app’s Karnataka-wide availability began on 14 October 2026 after a pilot in eight districts.

Beneficiaries who had completed e-KYC more than a year before were required to complete it again, and the stated deadline was 20 October 2026.