Many people are being deprived of their food rations because they have no Aadhaar number; or because their Aadhaar number has not been correctly "seeded"; or because their biometrics do not work, or simply because the "point of sale" machine returns various error messages.

Even those for whom the system works face huge inconvenience. Often they have to make repeated trips to the ration shop, or send different members in turn, until the machine cooperates. Sometimes schoolchildren are asked to skip classes and try their luck at the ration shop. This unreliable system causes a colossal waste of time for everyone.
Despite this, the Central government continues to push for compulsory Aadhaar-based biometric authentication in ration system in violation of Supreme Court orders. The court did allow the use of Aadhaar in the public distribution, but not making it compulsory for users. Nor can the government invoke the Aadhaar Act to justify this move: the relevant sections of the Act are yet to be notified.

Anada Singh, in Daulatpura, Ajmer, whose Aadhaar authentication does not work reliably.