Delhi's Atal Canteens now use retina scanners to prevent meal hoarding
Delhi's government just rolled out retina scanners at all 86 Atal Canteens to make sure people can't buy the same subsidized meal (for the same meal slot) more than once in a day.
When you buy a meal coupon, your retina is scanned and logged in a citywide system—so everyone gets a fair shot at affordable food, especially those who need it most.
What's the idea behind this initiative?
This move is all about making access to cheap, good food more equal and transparent.
If you grab lunch at one canteen, you can't get another lunch elsewhere that day—but dinner's still open for everyone later.
Delhi is also putting ₹100 crore into the project and opening 16 more canteens near hospitals and universities soon, focusing on spots where students and patients really need support.
The tech (including QR tokens and CCTV) helps keep things fair while making sure no one misses out.