♦ Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the country’s first Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Public Distribution System at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 15 February 2026.

♦ The system will provide beneficiaries with digital wallet tokens containing item name, quantity, and price details.

♦ With the launch, Gujarat has become the first state in the country to transfer PDS subsidies using the Reserve Bank of India-authorised Central Bank Digital Currency.

♦ Under this pilot project, over 26,000 families in Ahmedabad, Surat, Anand, and Valsad will receive digital tokens in their wallets to procure rations via QR codes or OTPs.