Design and Implementation of an IoT-Enabled Smart Grain Ration Distribution System using GSM Communication

Abstract

Most of the PDS in many regions are reliant on manual operation, fixed timing, supply, and human supervision. The paper proposes an intelligent \"All Time Grain Ration System\" for liberating authorized beneficiaries from time constraints for receiving rations, monitoring inventory levels remotely, avoiding misuse of the resource, etc., through integrating IoT-enabled grain hoppers with GSM-based communication. It consists of system architecture such as load sensors for grain level detection, a GSM module for notification and authentication remotely, IoT cloud platform for real-time monitoring, and a user interface for both ration dealers and administrators. A prototype developed and tested under practical conditions has demonstrated improvement in transparency, reduced waiting time, and lower idle inventory. The solution proposed is scalable and cost-effective and can significantly strengthen the resilience and convenience of the PDS infrastructure.

Introduction

The Public Distribution System (PDS) in India plays a critical role in ensuring food security by providing essential commodities like rice, wheat, and palm oil at subsidized prices to the poor. However, it faces major challenges including corruption, ration hijacking, poor accountability, and inefficiency—as noted by the Planning Commission (2005), which reported that only one-fourth of PDS expenditure benefits the intended recipients. These inefficiencies highlight the need for modernization to ensure accurate, transparent, and efficient delivery of food grains to the rightful beneficiaries.

To address these issues, the proposed study introduces an Automatic Ration Material Distribution System using biometric (fingerprint) authentication and IoT technology. The system allows only authorized users to access ration materials, preventing fraud and misuse.

Literature Review

Previous systems have explored various smart technologies:

• RFID and OTP-based systems for user verification via GSM modules.

• Smart card-based systems linked to online databases for automatic payments and SMS notifications.

• RFID–GSM integration to authenticate consumers, monitor transactions, and notify both users and authorities.
  These studies show that automation improves transparency and reduces human error, but most still rely on cards or tags that can be misplaced or misused.

Proposed System Overview

The All-Time Grain Ration System consists of several interconnected modules:

1. Smart Grain Hopper Unit – stores grains, uses load sensors and microcontrollers (e.g., Arduino/ESP32) to control dispensing.

2. Authentication Module – verifies users via smart card or fingerprint and allows dispensing based on stored entitlements.

3. IoT Cloud Platform – transmits data on stock levels and transactions to a centralized server for monitoring.

4. Dashboard Interface – enables administrators and dealers to track inventory, usage, and alerts in real-time.

5. Notification System – sends SMS alerts for refilling and unauthorized access attempts.

Methodology and Implementation

The system follows a structured process involving:

• Requirement analysis and system design (hardware, cloud, and UI architecture).

• Prototype development integrating a load sensor, microcontroller, GSM module, and authentication unit.

• Testing and calibration to ensure accurate dispensing and reliable communication.

• Pilot deployment in selected ration shops for performance evaluation based on metrics such as beneficiary waiting time and unauthorized access attempts.

Prototype and Results

A proof-of-concept prototype was built using:

• A 50 kg load cell with HX711 amplifier, ESP32 microcontroller, SIM800L GSM module, and RFID reader.

• A 100 kg grain hopper with a motorized dispensing gate and a cloud dashboard (Firebase/ThingSpeak).
  Testing showed:

• ±2% accuracy in weight measurement.

• 100% authentication success in controlled conditions.

• Average GSM data latency of 4–6 seconds.

• Beneficiary waiting time reduced by approximately 30% compared to manual systems.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Prof. Neelam Gawade, Mr. Shrishail Miraje, Mr. Sanket Kondre, Mr. Vyankatesh More. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.