The Supreme Court criticised the misuse of ration cards for political gain and questioned if subsidies were reaching the genuinely poor. It urged the Centre to provide updated data, noting reliance on outdated 2011 Census figures.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed concern that ration cards had become a "popularity card" and questioned whether subsidies intended for the poor were reaching those who deserved them.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said the focus should be on ensuring that benefits reach genuine beneficiaries. "Our concern is, are benefits meant for genuinely poor people percolating into those pockets who do not deserve them? Ration card has become a popularity card now," the court said.