Table of Contents

Public Distribution System and Food Security in India 3

1. Introduction 3
2. Objectives 4
3. Evolution of PDS in India 4
4. Limitations of PDS in India 5
5. Targeted Public Distribution System 5
6. Recent PDS Reforms 7
7. Alternatives to TPDS 9
8. Universal PDS vs. Targeted PDS 10
9. One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) 10
10. Food Security 12
1. Quantitative Dimension of Food Security in India 13
2. Qualitative Dimension of Food Security in India 13
3. Challenges to Food Security 13
4. Steps to be Taken to Ensure Food Security 14
11. Government Initiatives taken to Ensure Food Security 15
1. Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) 15
2. Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme 17
3. Critical Appraisal of ICDS and MDM 18
12. POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission 18
13. National Food Security Act, 2013 19
Conclusion 21
Previous Years Questions: Prelims 22
Previous Years Question: Mains 22

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Public Distribution System and Food Security in India

Introduction
The Public distribution system (PDS) is a food security system established under the Ministry of Consumer
Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution. It includes within its fold a government-sponsored chain of
approximately 5.35 lakh fair price shops entrusted with the work of distributing basic food and non-food
commodities to the needy sections of the society at very cheap prices.

● The responsibility of operating PDS is jointly shared by the Central and the State Governments.
● The Central Government, through Food Corporation of India (FCI), undertakes procurement, storage,
transportation and bulk allocation of food grains to the State Governments.
● Operational responsibilities like allocation within the State, identification of eligible families, issue of
Ration Cards and supervision of the functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) etc., lies with the State
Governments.
● Under the PDS, presently the commodities namely wheat, rice, sugar and kerosene are being allocated
to the States/UTs for distribution. Some States/UTs also distribute additional items of mass
consumption through the PDS outlets such as pulses, edible oils, iodized salt, spices, etc.

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Evolution of PDS in India
PDS was introduced around World War II as a war-time rationing measure. Before the 1960s, distribution
through PDS was generally dependant on imports of food grains.

● It was expanded in the 1960s as a response to the food shortages of the time; subsequently, the
government set up the Agriculture Prices Commission and the FCI to improve domestic procurement
and storage of food grains for PDS.
● By the 1970s, PDS had evolved into a universal scheme for the distribution of subsidised food
● Till 1992, PDS was a general entitlement scheme for all consumers without any specific target.
● The Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS) was launched in June, 1992 with a view to
strengthen and streamline the PDS as well as to improve its reach in the far-flung, hilly, remote and
inaccessible areas where a substantial section of the underprivileged classes lives.
● In June, 1997, the Government of India launched the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) with
a focus on the poor.
● Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): AAY was a step in the direction of making TPDS aim at reducing hunger
among the poorest segments of the BPL population.
● In September 2013, Parliament enacted the National Food Security Act, 2013. The Act relies largely on
the existing TPDS to deliver food grains as legal entitlements to poor households. This marks a shift
by making the right to food a justiciable right.

Limitations of PDS in India

● Limited benefits to poor from PDS: Both Rural and Urban poor have not benefited much from PDS
and their dependence on the open market has been much higher than on PDS.
● Urban Bias: For quite a longer period of time, PDS remained limited mostly to urban areas. Although,
there has been expansion of PDS in rural areas now, but its effectiveness in terms of timely and
adequate availability remains under question.
● The burden of food subsidy: After inclusion of NFSA-2013, the burden of food subsidy has become
huge. Also, APL category people have little to no incentives to buy from PDS, so there has been
increasing stock with FCI. Other than that the procurement prices have been rising continuously due
to rich farmers’ lobby and issue prices are getting lower due to populist policies. All of this together
are making the PDS unsustainable.
● Loss of Food Grain: An estimated 61,824 tonnes of foodgrains have been damaged between 2011-12
& 2016-17. Various reasons for the damage of food grains, including pest attacks, leakages in godowns,
procurement of poor quality stocks, exposure to rains, floods, and negligence on the part of the
persons concerned in taking precautionary measures etc.
● Inefficiencies in the operations of FCI: The economic cost of FCI food grains operation has been
rising on account of increase in procurement prices and other costs (distribution cost, carrying cost,
etc.) and also due to inefficiencies caused by highly centralised and bureaucratic mode of operations.
● PDS results in Price increases: Due to large procurement of food grains every year by Government,
the net quantities available in open market reduce. This leads to increase in Price. This dual market
system i.e. PDS and Open market operates to the disadvantages of poor, especially those who are
excluded from the food security system.
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 ● Challenges in Delivery Mechanism: These include challenges like card issue, Quantity and Quality
Issues i.e. (35 kg/family vs 5 kg/PHH); Measurement issues; Timeliness of supply; Record maintenance;
Seasonality etc.

Targeted Public Distribution System

This system has been adopted by Government of India since 1997 specifically targeting poor people. It seeks
to provide foodgrains to people Below Poverty Line at highly subsidized rate from the PDS and foodgrains to
people above poverty line at much higher prices.

● The identification of the poor under the scheme is done by the States. TPDS maintains universal
character of PDS but has special focus on BPL.
● Total number of families covered under BPL and AAY is 6.52 crores. The allocated amount is 35 kg per
month per household to BPL and AAY, while for APL, it will be between 15 kg to 35
kg/month/household.

Key Features of TPDS

● Targeting: Those earning a maximum of Rs. 15,000 per annum are kept within BPL. Initially 10 kg of
food grains were provided per household per month, but in 2002 the limit was revised to 35
kg/household/month.
● Dual Prices: In 2000, the Central Issue Prices for the PDS to state governments was set at 50% of the
economic cost of FCI for BPL families and at 100% of the economic cost for APL families. In 2001, a
third price was also issued for beneficiaries of ANTYODAYA ANNA YOJANA (Rs 2/kg of wheat and Rs.
3/kg of rice per family under AAY).
● Central-State Control: PDS is designed and managed by State Governments, while the Central
Government allocates the foodgrains to the states. Under TPDS, the size of the BPL population and
the entitlement for them is decided by the Central Government.

Management of food grains for TPDS

● The central and state governments share responsibilities in order to provide food grains to the
identified beneficiaries.
● The Central Government procures food grains from farmers at a minimum support price (MSP) and
sells it to states at central issue prices.
● It is responsible for transporting the grains to godowns in each state. States bear the responsibility of
transporting food grains from these godowns to each fair price shop (ration shop), where the
beneficiary buys the food grains at the lower central issue price.
● Many states further subsidise the price of food grains before selling it to beneficiaries. The Food
Corporation of India (FCI) is the nodal agency at the Centre, responsible for transporting food grains
to the state godowns.
● More specifically, FCI is responsible for:
o procuring grains at the MSP from farmers,
o maintaining operational and buffer stocks of grains to ensure food security,
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 o allocating grains to states,
o distributing and transporting grains to the state depots, and
o selling the grains to states at the central issue price to be eventually passed on to the
beneficiaries.

Recent PDS Reforms

Digitization of ration cards: This allows for online entry and verification of beneficiary data. Besides, online
storing of monthly entitlement of beneficiaries, number of dependants, offtake of food grains by beneficiaries
from FPS, etc. States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh etc have undertaken this
exercise on a large scale.

Linking with Adhar: 56% of the digitised cards have been seeded with unique identification number Aadhaar.
This leads to better identification and hence improved targeting.

Computerisation of FPS allocation: This makes declaration of stock balance, issuance of web-based truck
challans, etc very convenient. Furthermore, it allows for quick and efficient tracking of transactions. Several
states have also installed ePOS (electronic point of sale) devices at the fair price shops to track the sale of
foodgrains to actual cardholders on a real time basis.

Use of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology: States like Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu use GPS
technology to track movement of trucks carrying food grains from state depots to FPS. This checks leakages
to a great extent.

DBT: Three UTs-Chandigarh, Puducherry and Dadra and Nagar Haveli have implemented DBT on a pilot basis.

Alternatives to TPDS
● Cash Transfers: The high level committee chaired by Shanta Kumar in 2015 had recommended
gradual introduction of cash transfers in PDS, starting with large cities with more than 1 million
population; extending it to grain surplus states, and then giving option to deficit states to opt for cash
or physical grain distribution.
● DBT in the name of lady of the house, and routed it through PM Jan Dhan Yojana, and dovetailing it
with the UIDAI has also been suggested.
● This will help in better targeting, and plugging leakages. With a massive proportion of bank accounts
being already linked with Adhar, the case for authorities in adopting DBT with respect to public
distribution system (PDS) beneficiaries becomes stronger.
● For instance, out the around 6.72 crore beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu, Aadhaar-linking has been done
for 6.68 crore. Besides, a majority of the ration cardholders are either Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY) account holders (1.05 crore PMJDY acc holders in Tamil Nadu) or recipients of subsidy on
cooking gas cylinders. So they are already getting financial assistance from government agencies
through their bank accounts.

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 ● Food Coupons: Beneficiaries can be given coupons instead of money, which can be used to buy food
grains from any grocery store. Under this system, grains will not be given at a subsidised rate to the
PDS stores. Instead, beneficiaries will use the food coupons to purchase food grains from retailers
(which could be PDS stores). Retailers take these coupons to the local bank and are reimbursed with
money.
● According to Economic Survey reports, such a system will reduce administrative costs. This can also
remove the problems of procurements, diversion and black marketing of food grains.
● UBI: A Universal Basic Income has also been touted as an alternative. Such an initiative imparts a
sense of agency on the beneficiaries, helps them make choices on their own and also saves up on
administrative costs.

Universal PDS vs. Targeted PDS

● When PDS was first introduced, it was a universal entitlement scheme. In 1997, it was changed into the
Targeted PDS. Unlike most states in the country, Tamil Nadu retained the Universal PDS, providing
subsidised food grains to the entire population.
● Its PDS success story has been inspirational. However, there are both advantages and limitations to
this approach:
● Subsidised PDS commodities are distributed to all residents without classifying them into different
categories. According to the Justice Wadhwa Committee Report, non-classification helps the state
avoid errors of exclusion of eligible and vulnerable families.
● A universal scheme will create an unnecessary burden over the exchequer, as this will have huge
inclusion error because those who do not need the security, such as rich people, will get automatically
included in it.
● But, at the same time a universal PDS will remove the exclusion error seen in targeted schemes due to
misidentification of beneficiaries, rampant corruption, leakages and diversion in the PDS, etc.
● Some critics are of view that a more inclusion error, but less or no exclusion error is more favourable
condition for the success of PDS. Also, rich people can be persuaded to give up their subsidy, as
successfully done in LPG.
● A high procurement of food grain will have to be done for a Universal PDS. This will increase the price
of wheat and rice in open markets. It calls into question the ability of the government to to import such
quantities of highly subsidized food grains in the event of shortfall.
● India is home to a large number of migrants, non-citizens etc. A targeted PDS excludes these people
as they do not have required documents for ration card. A universal PDS will bring them under the fold
of food security. But both budget and grains are limited.
● Universal schemes implemented in North Africa suggests that it involves unnecessary high costs and
no significant benefits to the poor. 5. However, universal programs lack the element of ‘affirmative
action’.

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One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)
● The ONORC scheme is being implemented under National Food Security Act (NFSA).
● This system allows all NFSA beneficiaries, particularly migrant beneficiaries, to claim either full or part
foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) in the country through existing ration card with
biometric/Aadhaar authentication in a seamless manner.
● The system also allows their family members back home, if any, to claim the balance foodgrains on
same the ration card.
● The implementation of ONORC was initiated in August 2019.

Objectives:

● To empower all NFSA beneficiaries to become AtmaNirbhar for their food security anywhere in the
country, through portability of their existing ration cards enabling them.
● To seamlessly lift their entitled subsidized foodgrains (in part or full) from any Fair Price Shop of their
choice.
● To enable family members to lift balance/required amount of foodgrains on the same ration card at
their native/ any place from the FPS of their choice.

Significance of ONORC:

● Enabling Right to Food: Previously, ration cardholders can avail their entitlement of subsidised food
grains under the National Food Security Act, only from the designated Fair price shop (FPS) within the
concerned state.
● However, if a beneficiary were to shift to another state, he/she would need to apply for a new ration
card in the second state.
● Thus, ONORC envisages removing the geographical hindrance to social justice and enabling the right
to food.
● Supporting One-Third of Population: Nearly, 37% of the population is that of migrant labourers. The
scheme is therefore important for anyone who is going to move from one place to the other.
● Reducing Leakages: The ONORC can reduce leakages, because the fundamental prerequisite of this
scheme is deduplication.
● This will ensure that the same person does not figure as a beneficiary in two different locations of the
country.
● Further, the scheme is linked with Aadhaar and biometrics, this removes most possibilities of
corruption.
● Reducing Social Discrimination: ONORC will be particularly beneficial for women and other
disadvantaged groups, given how social identity (caste, class and gender) and other contextual factors
(including power relations) provide a strong backdrop in accessing PDS (Public Distribution System).

Associated Challenges

● Exclusion Error: The digitisation of this PDS process, through Aadhaar-linked ration cards and smart
cards, has been pushed in an effort to reduce leakages. However, there has been a rise of exclusion
errors in post-Aadhaar seeding.

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 ● There are many sections of society who still don’t have Aadhar Cards, thereby depriving them of food
security.
● Domicile-Based Social Sector Schemes: Not only PDS, most of the anti-poverty, rural employment,
welfare and food security schemes were historically based on domicile-based access and restricted
people to access government social security, welfare and food entitlements at their place of origin.
● Disrupting Supplies At FPS: An FPS receives the monthly quota of products strictly in accordance with
the number of people assigned to it.
● The ONORC, when fully operational, would disrupt this practice, as some FPSs may have to cater to
more numbers of cards even as others cater to less, owing to migration of people.

Way Forward

● If emergencies continue to hamper uptake at ration shops, alternate delivery channels can be
considered for delivering food grains to vulnerable groups.
● Food security should be seen from a broader framework of nutritional security. Therefore, ONORC
must allow the portability of Integrated Child Development Services, Mid-Day Meals, immunization,
health care and other facilities.
● In the longer run, the PDS system may be replaced by a fool-proof food coupon system or direct benefit
transfer.
● Wherein, a Below Poverty Line family can buy rice, pulses, sugar and oil from any Kirana store at the
market price, by either paying fully through the coupon or by cash.

Food Security
The definition of food security has evolved over a period of time. As a concept, food security originated in the
mid-1970s, in the wake of global food crisis.

The initial focus of attention was assuring the availability and to some degree the price stability of basic
foodstuffs at the international and national level.

This was then broadened to incorporate the demand side of food security in early eighties. During the nineties
issues such food safety, nutrition, dietary needs and food preferences were also considered important
ingredients of food security.

In FAO report on ‘The

State of Food Insecurity, Providing food security has been focus of the Government of India’s planning
2001’ , food security is and policy. Attainment of self-sufficiency in foodgrains production at the
defined as a “situation national level has been one of the major achievements of the country.
that exists when all
people, at all times, have In order to address the issue of food security at the household level,
physical, social and Government is implementing the Targeted Public Distribution System under
economic access to which subsidized foodgrains is provided to eligible households. To further
sufficient, safe and
nutritious food that
meets their dietary needs
and food preferences for
8 an
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active and healthy © Economy (GS Paper 3) by Ayussh Sanghi Page 1
life”
strengthen the efforts to address the food security of the people, the Government enacted the National Food
Security Act, 2013.

Food Security in 1. Quantitative Dimension of Food Security in India

Constitution of India
India gained self-sufficiency in the food grains in 1970s mainly because of
In the Indian green revolution and has sustained it since then. India's foodgrains
context, the production is estimated at a record 291.95 million tonnes in the 2019-20 crop
underpinnings for year. Thus, in terms of per capita food requirements, India is self-sufficient in
food security of the production of major food crops like wheat and rice.
the people can be
found in the
Constitution,
though there is no 2. Qualitative Dimension of Food Security in India
explicit provision
While theonper capita
right food availability is sufficient, food is not equally distributed. Due to anomalies in the
to food.
distribution The channels and disproportionate purchasing power capacity of people, the nutritional
requirements of vulnerable
fundamental right sections are not adequately addressed.
to life enshrined in
This can be gauged
Article from
21 of the
the following facts:has
Constitution
been interpreted
According to
by the Supreme 3. Challenges to Food Security
State Of Food
Court and
Security and
National Human ● Climate Change: Higher temperatures and unreliable rainfall makes
Nutrition in The
Rights
World 2020 Report farming difficult. Climate change not only impacts crop but also livestock,
Commission to forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, and can cause grave social and economic
of FAO, the
include right to
number of consequences in the form of reduced incomes, eroded livelihoods, trade
live with human
undernourished disruption and adverse health impacts.
dignity, which
people in India ● Lack of access to remote areas: For the tribal communities, habitation
includes the right
declined from in remote difficult terrains and practice of subsistence farming has led to
to food and other
249.4 million in significant economic backwardness.
basic necessities.
2004-06 to 189.2 ● Increase in rural-to-urban migration, large proportion of informal
Under
million in 2020-21. workforce resulting in unplanned growth of slums which lack in the basic
Directive
It further said
Principles of State health and hygiene facilities, insufficient housing and increased food
that the
Policy, it is insecurity.
prevalence of
provided underpoverty, lack of education and gender inequality.
● Overpopulation,
stunting in
Article 47 that
● Inadequate that
distribution of food through public distribution mechanisms (PDS i.e. Public Distribution
children under 5
the
System).State shall
years of age in
regard raising
● Deserving the
beneficiaries of the subsidy are excluded on the basis of non-ownership of below poverty
India declined
level of nutrition
line
from(BPL) status,
47.8% in as the criterion for identifying a household as BPL is arbitrary and varies from state
and the standard
to2012
state. to 34.7% in
of living of its
2021 or from 62
9 | Page people and the
million in 2012 to
© Economy (GS Paper 3) by Ayussh Sanghi Page 1
improvement of
40.3 million in
public health as
2021.
 ● Biofuels: The growth of the biofuel market has reduced the land used for growing food crops.
● Conflict: Food can be used as a weapon, with enemies cutting off food supplies in order to gain
ground. Crops can also be destroyed during the conflict.
● Unmonitored nutrition programmes: Although a number of programmes with improving nutrition
as their main component are planned in the country but these are not properly implemented.
● Lack of coherent food and nutrition policies along with the absence of intersectoral coordination
between various ministries.
● Corruption: Diverting the grains to open market to get better margin, selling poor quality grains at
ration shops, irregular opening of the shops add to the issue of food insecurity.

4. Steps to be Taken to Ensure Food Security

The government policy needs to adopt an integrated policy framework to facilitate agriculture productivity.

The measures should focus mainly on rationale distribution of cultivable land, improving the size of the farms
and providing security to the tenant cultivators apart from providing the farmers with improved technology
for cultivation and improved inputs like irrigation facilities, availability of better quality seeds, fertilizers and
credits at lower interest rates.

● Aeroponics and hydroponics are systems that allow plants to be grown without soil. Plants grown in
this way take in water and nutrients efficiently. These methods can be used in the areas of poor soil
quality and soil erosion.
● Adoption of crops and techniques with lower water requirements, such as the System of Rice
Intensification (SRI) method of rice production, contributes to resilience by enabling equal or better
yields to be achieved with less water withdrawal.
● Planting crops with lower water requirements and agricultural practices that maintain soil moisture,
such as maintaining vegetative cover between crops, can also contribute to resilience.
● Crop diversification: Higher profitability and stability in production highlight the importance of crop
diversification, e.g. legumes alternative with rice and wheat. Growing of non-cereal crops such as
oilseeds, fruits and vegetables etc need to be encouraged.
● Strategies for better food storage should be adopted.
● The Blue Revolution: Sea, lakes and rivers can be used to provide food and nutrition. Fish are a very
good source of protein and do not require good soil.
● Biotechnology and appropriate technology: Selective breeding or genetic modification (GM) of plants
and animals can be done to produce specific features and adaptations.
● For example, selective breeding has been used on dairy cows to increase milk yields. GM has been used
on wheat to produce crops that are disease resistant.
● Existing direct nutrition programmes should be revamped to enable management by women’s Self
Help Groups (SHGs) and /or local bodies along with orientation and training of community health
workers, Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members, other opinion leaders, caregivers and other
stakeholders can be another area.

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 ● Efforts should be made by the concerned health departments and authorities to initiate and supervise
the functioning of the nutrition related schemes in an efficient way.
● Annual surveys and rapid assessments surveys could be some of the ways through which program
outcomes can be measured.
● Focus needs to be shifted to the workers in the informal sector by providing decent wages and healthy
working conditions.
● Local community education on key family health and nutrition practices using participatory and
planned communication methodologies will be helpful.
● The cooperatives play an important role in food security in India especially in the southern and
western parts of the country. The cooperative societies set up shops to sell low priced goods to poor
people. The cooperatives should be encouraged.

Government Initiatives taken to Ensure Food Security

1. Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)

The Umbrella ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child
Development. It was launched in 1975.

Objectives of ICDS

● To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years.
● To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child.
● To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout.

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 ● To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to
promote child development.
● To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the
child.
● To facilitate, educate and empower Adolescent Girls (AGs) so as to enable them to become self-reliant
and aware citizens.

Schemes Under the ICDS:

1. Anganwadi Services Scheme:

● It is a unique programme for early childhood care and development.

● The beneficiaries under the Scheme are children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and
lactating mothers.
● It provides a package of six services namely supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal
education, nutrition & health education, immunisation, health check-up and referral services.
● Supplementary Nutrition includes Take Home Ration (THR), Hot Cooked Meal and morning snacks and
holds importance for many vulnerable households as it impacts the nutritional outcome of the
children.

2. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana:

● It provides cash incentive amounting to Rs.5,000/- in three instalments directly to the Bank/Post Office
Account of Pregnant Women and Lactating Mother (PW&LM) in DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) Mode
during pregnancy and lactation in response to individual fulfilling specific conditions.
● National Creche Scheme:
● It provides day care facilities to children of age group of 6 months to 6 years of working women.
● The facilities are provided for seven and half hours a day for 26 days in a month.
● Children are provided with supplementary nutrition, early childcare education, and health and
sleeping facilities.

3. Scheme for Adolescent Girls:

● It aims at out of school girls in the age group 11-14, to empower and improve their social status
through nutrition, life skills and home skills.
● The scheme has nutritional and non nutritional components which include nutrition; iron and folic
acid supplementation; health check up and referral service; nutrition and health education;
mainstreaming out of school girls to join formal schooling bridge course/ skill training; life skill
education, home management etc,; counselling/ guidance on accessing public services.

4. Child Protection Scheme:

● It aims to contribute to the improvement and well-being of children in difficult circumstances, as well
as, reduction of vulnerabilities to situations and actions that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation,
abandonment and separation of children from parents.

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2. Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme

● It is the largest school feeding programme of its kind in the world, covering students enrolled in
government schools from Classes 1 to 8.
● The basic objective of this scheme is to enhance enrolment in schools.
● Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Education.
● Background: The programme was first introduced in 1925 for disadvantaged children in Madras
Municipal Corporation.
● The union government launched as a centrally sponsored scheme on a pilot basis in 1995 for children
in Classes 1 to 5.
● By October 2007, MDMS had been scaled up to Class 8.
● Current Status: The current version of the programme, renamed PM Poshan Shakti Nirman or PM
Poshan in 2021.
● Scale of Coverage: The scheme covers 11.80 crore children across Classes 1 to 8 (age group 6 to 14).
● Legal Entitlement: It is not just a scheme, but a legal entitlement of all school-going children in primary
and upper primary classes, through the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.

3. Critical Appraisal of ICDS and MDM

India’s one of the biggest flagship programs, the Rs 8,000 crore-a-year Supplementary Nutrition Program
(SNP) to fight child malnourishment under ICDS suffers from gross violations and misuse of rules and has
failed in meeting its ends.

● Due to meager allocation of resources and faulty policy designs, the overall impact of ICDS and MDM
over malnutrition has remained very limited. The states with high degree of malnutrition, have low
coverage of both the schemes.
● Poor quality of nutrient deficient meal is being served at most of the schools.
● ICDS has limited itself with just one function of Supplementary Nutritional Program (SNP) and is not
concerned about other functions. Also, it focuses on children 3-6 years of age, so, 0-3 years (when
maximum nutrition is required) old suffer neglect.
● Since food is nutrition deficient in ICDS as well, children are facing the problem of hidden hunger i.e.
prevalence of Iodine, calcium, iron or Vitamin A deficiency.
● Child Immunization and pre-school education is neglected under ICDS, except in Tamil Nadu (FOCUS
report).
● ICDS is poorly implemented. Also, several posts such as of CDPO and supervisors remain vacant in
many states.

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 ● Rampant corruption, fudged records and bland panjiri has become the reality of ICDS. FOCUS reports
(Focus on Children Under Six Report by Right To Food Campaign NGO) show that corruption is the
main reason for failure of ICDS and MDM in removing malnutrition.
● It was found that ‘panjiri’ (ready-to-eat energy mix) meant for children is being used illegally to feed
the cattle of rich and influential in Uttar Pradesh.
● MDM is falling prey to private contractors. Also, political leaders and influential business people have
formed SHGs and mahila mandals to gain such contracts.

POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission

POSHAN Abhiyaan is the flagship program to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women,
and lactating mothers in India. It is also called the National Nutrition Mission.

Objectives of The POSHAN Abhiyan

● Reducing the level of under-nutrition

● Enhancing the nutritional status of children in the country
● Improving the nutritional outcomes of adolescents, children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers

Salient Features of The POSHAN Abhiyan

● The program was launched on International Women’s Day on 8 March 2018 at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan.
● The POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) Abhiyaan spreads
awareness towards the problems pertaining to malnutrition and brings viable solutions with it.
● Implementation status reports of the Abhiyaan are submitted by NITI Aayog every six months. The
implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan is carried out through the Technical Support Unit (TSU)
established at NITI Aayog, which will also provide research, policy, and technical support for the
program.
● As the mission is expected to eradicate malnutrition by 2022, it has been taken up by multiple
ministries. This helps in expanding the outreach of the mission and thereby facilitating its
implementation.
● The execution of the mission is sufficed through technology as well as convergence among various
modules and departments.
● The term ‘Poshan’ stands for ‘Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition’.
● Some specific targets of the program are reducing stunting, anemia, under-nutrition, and low birth
weight.
● It also involves mapping various other schemes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana, Scheme for
Adolescent Girls, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, National Health
Mission, and so on.
● The program enables synergies among these schemes through an ICT-based real-time monitoring
system, robust convergence among the various related schemes, incentivizing states and UTs for
meeting the set targets, and optimizing Anganwadi centers’ functioning, apart from conducting social
audits.

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POSHAN Maah

● Rashtriya POSHAN Maah is celebrated in September. The activities in POSHAN Maah were focused on
Social as well as Behavioural Change and Communication. It helped to build awareness through
assertive dialogue and thereby educated a lot of people in the way of communication around this
topic.
● The POSHAN Maah was widely based around antenatal care, optimal breastfeeding, anaemia, growth
monitoring, girls’ - education, diet, hygiene and sanitation, eating healthy, and other such themes.
● Over 120 million women, 60 million men, and 130 million children were reached out to through the
implementation of the POSHAN Maah. Collectively, POSHAN Maah was successful in reaching more
than 30 Crore people in just 30 days.

National Food Security Act, 2013

It marks a paradigm shift in approach to food security – from a welfare to rights based approach. The Act
legally entitles up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized
foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System.

● About 67% of the total population therefore is covered under the Act to receive highly subsidized
foodgrains.
● The Act seeks to provide food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access
to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity and for
matter connected therewith or incidental to it.
● The Act brings the Right to Food within the framework of legally mandated entitlements.

Key Features of the Act

● It entitles 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population (67% of the population i.e. 80
crore people) for subsidized grain under TPDS.
● The act provides ‘individual entitlement’ and each individual will be provided 5 kg of wheat, rice or
coarse cereals a month at the rate of Rs 3, Rs 2, and Re 1 per kg respectively. These Prices may be
changed by the Central Government from time to time, but after 3 years of the act only and not above
the MSP.
● 2.43 crore people under AAY will get 35 kg food grain per household per month, like earlier.
● There is a special focus on nutritional support to pregnant women and lactating mothers and children
up to 14 years of age by entitling them to nutritious meals. Pregnant women will also be entitled to
receive cash maternity benefit of Rs. 6,000 in order to partly compensate her for the wage loss during
the period of pregnancy and also to supplement nutrition.
● The act contains an important provision for women empowerment by giving status of head of the
household to the eldest woman of the household, for the purpose of issuing of ration cards.
● State Governments have been given responsibilities to identify the households within 365 days of the
passage of the act.

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 ● For children below 6 months, exclusive breast feeding is to be promoted. For children between 6
month to 6 years, age-appropriate free meals will be provided by the Aanganwadi Centres. For children
between 6-14 years of age (unto Class VIII) will be given Mid Day Meal at public schools.
● Every pregnant and lactating mother will get free meal at local aanganwadi (till 6 months of delivery)
and a maternity benefit of Rs 6000 in instalments.
● A State Food Commission will be set with a chairperson, five members and 1 secretary (including at
least 2 women, and 1 member each from the SC and ST community)
● If concerned state government is not able to provide the food grain, then equivalent food security
allowance has to be provided.
● Act includes three schedules:
o Schedule 1 prescribes issue prices for the PDS.
o Schedule 2 prescribes nutritional standards for MDM, take home rations and related
entitlements.
o Schedule 3 lists various provisions to advance food security under 3 broad headings:
▪ revitalisation of agriculture (land reform, R&D, etc.)
▪ procurement, storage and movement of food grains, and
▪ other provisions (safe drinking water, sanitation, healthcare, adequate pensions for
vulnerable, etc.)

Conclusion
PDS

● PDS is one of the biggest welfare programmes of the government, helping farmers sell their produce
at remunerative prices as well as the poorer sections of society to buy food grains at affordable rates.
● Its effectiveness can be enhanced with technology based solutions as is evident from some of the
states’ successes towards the same. Shifting towards DBT is another idea, but with caution.
● In its report on State finances, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has advised States that are planning to
shift to cash transfer to be cautious while effecting the migration.

Food security

● Food security of a nation is ensured if all of its citizens have enough nutritious food available, all
persons have the capacity to buy food of acceptable quality and there is no barrier on access to food.
● The right to food is a well established principle of international human rights law. It has evolved to
include an obligation for state parties to respect, protect, and fulfil their citizens’ right to food security.

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Previous Years Questions: Prelims

1. The economic cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India is Minimum Support Price and bonus (if
any) paid to the farmers plus… [2019]

(a) transportation cost only

(b) interest cost only
(c) procurement incidentals and distribution cost
(d) procurement incidentals and charges for godowns
Ans: (c)

Previous Years Question: Mains

Q.1. Critically analyse whether the Aadhaar-based biometric authentication has been able to reduce
PDS leakages or not. [GS 3- 2018]

Q.2. What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act 2013? How has the Food security
Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India? [GS 3- 2021]

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