Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated during a cabinet briefing that the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Rs 25,000-crore Sarthak Public Distribution System (PDS) scheme, which aims to modernise India's food security network that now covers almost 80 crore users.
The program aims to support state agencies for the intra-state transportation of food grains, modernise the public distribution system, and bolster fair price stores.
Referred to as a "structural reform of the whole PDS system," According to Vaishnaw, the initiative's goal is to increase network-wide transportation, logistics, and material handling efficiency rather than to replace the current public distribution system.

The first pillar, “Nirmal”, is an AI-driven real-time PDS beneficiary registry that will enable live inter-ministerial integration and cross-scheme cooperation to streamline welfare delivery and reduce duplication."The current PDS will not be replaced by this. State governments would gain from better food distribution plans and more effective supply chain operations, according to Vaishnaw, who also described it as a reform to the PDS system's transportation, logistics, and material handling.
According to the minister, the program has been built around three main pillars to enhance citizen engagement, efficiency, and openness within the nation's food security architecture.
The second pillar, "ASHA," is dedicated to public involvement and multilingual AI-powered grievance remedy. According to officials, the platform will be scalable to manage up to three lakh interactions daily when integrated with chatbot and WhatsApp services.

The third pillar, "Saksham," is an AI-powered supply chain management platform with features for demand forecasting, vehicle tracking, and QR-code-based traceability that are intended to increase logistical effectiveness and track the flow of food grains.
The Center claims that the optimisation program will improve operational efficiency and minimise logistics costs by reducing food grain transportation travel distances by 15–50%.
Additionally, Vaishnaw stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up the topic of rapid climate change during the cabinet meeting, pointing out that the Prime Minister has recently brought it up in a number of public social media posts.
According to the government, the program is a part of a larger movement toward more focused welfare delivery systems and technology-led governance.