Shimla, Jul 5 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh became the first state in the country to introduce Aadhaar-based face authentication (FaceAuth) for the distribution of ration to eligible beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS), officials said on Saturday. Until now, authentication was carried out using either OTP-based or biometric methods. However, frequent challenges such as SMS delivery failures and biometric mismatches at the UIDAI end were causing inconvenience to the beneficiaries, Gokul Butail, Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister, said in a statement. Also Read | Is There Sunday Mega Block on July 6, 2025? Will Mumbai Local Train Services Be Affected on Central, Western and Harbour Lines? All You Need To Know. With the launch of the FaceAuth mechanism, the process has now been streamlined and made more accessible, Butail noted, adding that, unlike traditional methods, this new facility uses a mobile camera via an app installed on the fair price shop (FPS) owner’s smartphone, enabling direct facial authentication of beneficiaries. “In a significant technological advancement, the department of Digital Technologies and Governance (DDTG), Himachal Pradesh, has introduced Aadhaar-based face authentication (FaceAuth) for the distribution of ration to eligible beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS),” Butail said. Also Read | Pune Techie Rape Case: Police Say Suspect Held for ‘Rape’ of IT Professional at Home Was Her Friend, She Herself Took Selfie. He emphasised that this pioneering initiative underscores the state’s commitment to leveraging digital technology for enhancing public service delivery and promoting inclusive access to essential services. The new system is expected to improve the authentication success rate and reduce verification time, ensuring a faster and more efficient ration distribution process, the statement added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)