Context:

• The Poshan Tracker — launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2021 — has recently entered public debate due to misconceptions surrounding e-KYC and Facial Recognition System (FRS).
• e-KYC and FRS are used for monitoring Take-Home Ration (THR) delivery under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
• The article clarifies myths, highlights technological safeguards, and outlines the need for improved awareness and usability.

Background - What is the Poshan Tracker?:

• The Poshan Tracker is an application under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 and is the primary tool for POSHAN Abhiyaan.
• It is one of the world’s largest government-funded nutrition monitoring systems used to monitor the delivery of nutrition services under the umbrella of the ICDS scheme.
• It covers 1.4 million Anganwadi Centres and monitors over 88 million beneficiaries (women, children and adolescent girls).
• It is designed to ensure transparency, accountability, real-time monitoring and reduce leakage in food and nutrition delivery.

Why e-KYC and FRS Were Introduced?:

• Persistent ground-level challenges:
  • Duplicate or “ghost” beneficiaries.
  • Diversion and leakage of THR.
  • Shortfalls in quantity or quality of rations.
  • Need for proof-based delivery and real-time tracking.
• How e-KYC works: The Anganwadi worker enters the Aadhaar number, an OTP is sent to the registered mobile number, and once verified, the beneficiary is marked as e-KYC verified on the Poshan Tracker.
• How facial recognition works?:
  • Anganwadi worker captures a live photo at the time of THR distribution.
  • The system matches the photo with the registration or e-KYC photo.
  • Ensures ration reaches the rightful recipient, and records delivery digitally.

Myths vs Facts:

• Myth vs fact 1: e-KYC needs to be done every month. The fact is that it is a one-time verification process. Once verified, the beneficiary is permanently marked as “e-KYC verified”.
• Myth vs fact 2:
  • Even small children must undergo facial recognition.
  • The Poshan Tracker does not undertake facial authentication of children under six years for delivery of THR.
  • It verifies the child’s identity through the parent or guardian, usually the mother.
• Myth vs fact 3:
  • FRS for THR distribution cannot function offline, and concerns about the lack of internet connectivity in rural areas.
  • Face matching works in both online and offline modes, with the offline option specifically developed for low-connectivity areas.
• Myth vs fact 4: Personal data and photographs are stored locally. Data flows through encrypted channels, no local storage of photos or identifiers, backend servers remain secured.
• Myth vs fact 5: Beneficiaries need smartphones for FRS. Only the Anganwadi worker uses the smartphone, beneficiaries do not need one.

Achievements and Scale:

• As of August 2025, nearly 3.69 crore THR beneficiaries (out of 4.9 crore registered), representing about 75% of the target base — had completed e-KYC and facial authentication.
• This reflects India’s remarkable readiness to embrace digital tools at scale and its growing confidence in technology-driven public service delivery. 

Challenges Identified:

• Digital misconceptions and misinformation among citizens and frontline workers.
• Usability issues in the app; time burden on Anganwadi workers during THR distribution.
• Connectivity gaps in remote rural areas (though offline mode exists).
• Need for improved digital literacy among Anganwadi workers.
• Ensuring constant adherence to data privacy norms.

Way Forward:

• Strengthen public communication to counter myths and misinformation.
• Conduct usability testing to improve app efficiency and reduce workload.
• Streamline service delivery workflows to save time during THR distribution.
• Invest in capacity building, training, and digital literacy of Anganwadi workers.
• Maintain robust data protection and encryption standards to build public trust.
• Encourage community awareness to ensure smooth authentication processes.

Conclusion:

• The Poshan Tracker represents a landmark initiative in India’s digital governance and nutrition service delivery, aiming to ensure that every beneficiary receives their rightful entitlements.
• While misconceptions around e-KYC and FRS exist, the system is backed by strong security protocols and has already achieved significant coverage.
• Addressing myths will be crucial to realising its full potential in strengthening nutrition governance, transparency, and accountability in India.