New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) Over three-fourths of eligible beneficiaries registered for the government's Take Home Ration (THR) scheme have completed facial recognition and e-KYC verification, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said on Friday.

As of August 5, face capturing and e-KYC of 3.69 crore beneficiaries which is 75.12 per cent of the 4.91 crore registered under the scheme have been completed, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur informed the Lok Sabha.

The verification drive is part of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, a centrally sponsored programme that subsumes Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls to tackle malnutrition through a life cycle approach.

Supplementary nutrition is provided to children aged six months to six years, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls, in line with revised norms introduced in January 2023 that focus on diet diversity, quality protein, healthy fats and micronutrients.

The Face Recognition System (FRS) module, developed under the Poshan Tracker application, was piloted in August 2024 and rolled out nationwide on an optional basis in December 2024.

Since July 1 this year, it has been used for mandatory monthly verification of beneficiaries to ensure last-mile delivery of rations. For children under six, where Bal Aadhaar lacks biometric data, the FRS is carried out for a parent or guardian.

The ministry said the system works in both online and offline modes to accommodate areas with poor connectivity and is compatible with low-end smartphones. Regular training, field visits and meetings with state officials are being conducted to resolve technical issues.

According to the ministry, stringent data protection measures are in place, including encryption of all verification requests, no permanent storage of images on devices, role-based access for authorised personnel, and encrypted internal databases to prevent misuse of sensitive information.

Thakur said the mission remains open to all eligible beneficiaries without entry barriers, with the aim of breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. PTI UZM NB NB