Offline Biometric Authentication for rural area Ration shop

Abstract In rural areas, the effectiveness of digital authentication systems in ration shops is often limited by unreliable or unavailable internet connectivity, leading to transaction failures and increased opportunities for fraud. To address this challenge, this paper proposes an offline multimodal biometric authentication system designed specifically for rural ration shop environments. The proposed system integrates RFID-based identification with face recognition to provide secure and reliable beneficiary authentication without dependence on network connectivity. Arduino is used for hardware control and RFID processing, while a Python-based application employing OpenCV and face recognition libraries performs facial verification using locally stored biometric data. During each transaction, the beneficiary’s RFID tag is validated and the captured facial image is matched against the local database before access is granted. Authentication results and user details are displayed on an LCD, accompanied by buzzer alerts and voice feedback for transaction status. Experimental observations demonstrate that the system effectively reduces impersonation, minimizes manual errors, and ensures fair distribution of ration commodities in offline conditions. The proposed solution is cost- effective, scalable, and well-suited for deployment in rural public distribution systems. Keywords Offline Biometric Authentication, RFID, Face Recognition, Rural Ration Shop, Public Distribution System, Arduino, Fraud Prevention