Food Security & PDS System
🟠 Topic 29: Food Security & PDS System
📌 Introduction
Food security is a critical element of economic development, ensuring that all individuals have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. In a populous country like India, achieving food security is both a moral imperative and policy priority. India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) plays a pivotal role in ensuring that food reaches the most vulnerable sections of society.
🔹 What is Food Security?
📖 Definition
According to the FAO, food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
3 Dimensions of Food Security
| Dimension | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Availability | Adequate food production, imports, stockpiling |
| Access | Ability to purchase or receive food |
| Utilization | Proper nutrition, food preparation, sanitation |
🔎 Importance of Food Security
1️⃣ Ensures national stability and social harmony.
2️⃣ Reduces malnutrition and hunger, enhancing productivity.
3️⃣ Provides a buffer against climate shocks and market volatility.
4️⃣ Contributes to human capital development.
🔹 Food Security Scenario in India
- India achieved self-sufficiency in food grains after the Green Revolution.
- Despite surplus production, food insecurity persists in several regions due to poverty, lack of access, and malnutrition.
Key Statistics (2023)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Undernourished Population | ~16% |
| Child Stunting Rate | ~35% |
| Global Hunger Index Rank (2023) | 111 out of 125 countries |
| Food Grain Production | ~330 million tonnes |
🔹 Public Distribution System (PDS)
📖 Definition
The Public Distribution System (PDS) is India’s food security delivery mechanism, distributing subsidized food grains to eligible beneficiaries through a network of Fair Price Shops (FPS).
🔎 Evolution of PDS
| Phase | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Pre-1992 | Universal PDS, open to all |
| Revamped PDS (1992) | Targeted at backward districts |
| Targeted PDS (1997) | Different entitlements for BPL and APL families |
| National Food Security Act (2013) | Legal right to food for 67% of population |
🔹 Key Features of TPDS (Targeted PDS)
| Category | Entitlement | Price (per kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) | 35 kg per family | ₹1-₹3 |
| Priority Households (PHH) | 5 kg per person | ₹1-₹3 |
- Subsidized grains: Rice ₹3/kg, Wheat ₹2/kg, Coarse Grains ₹1/kg.
- States also run State PDS programs with additional benefits.
🔹 Institutional Framework of PDS
| Institution | Role |
|---|---|
| FCI (Food Corporation of India) | Procurement, storage, transport |
| State Civil Supplies Corporations | Distribution to FPS |
| Fair Price Shops (FPS) | Last-mile delivery to beneficiaries |
🔹 Digital Reforms in PDS
| Reform | Objective |
|---|---|
| Aadhaar Seeding | Eliminate ghost beneficiaries |
| e-POS Machines | Digital authentication at FPS |
| One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) | Nationwide portability of PDS benefits |
| Annavitran Portal | Real-time monitoring of grain distribution |
🔹 Challenges in PDS
1️⃣ Leakages and Diversion
- Grains diverted to open market.
- Bogus ration cards inflate demand.
2️⃣ Quality Concerns
- Poor quality grains supplied.
- No focus on nutritional diversity.
3️⃣ Coverage Exclusions
- Many deserving families excluded due to errors in beneficiary lists.
- Migrant workers faced denial of entitlements before ONORC.
4️⃣ Storage and Transportation Losses
- Poor storage infrastructure leads to spoilage and wastage.
- High transport costs inflate subsidy bill.
5️⃣ Fiscal Burden
- Annual food subsidy exceeds ₹2 lakh crore, making it India’s largest welfare expenditure.
🔹 Food Security Act, 2013 – Legal Framework
| Provision | Key Feature |
|---|---|
| Coverage | 75% rural, 50% urban population |
| Entitlements | 5 kg per person per month |
| Nutritional Support | Free meals for pregnant women, lactating mothers, children |
| Grievance Redressal | State Food Commissions |
Nutritional Dimensions of Food Security
- India faces a triple burden: ✔️ Undernutrition.
✔️ Hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiency).
✔️ Obesity and lifestyle diseases. - POSHAN Abhiyan targets improving nutrition outcomes through: ✔️ Supplementary nutrition in Anganwadis. ✔️ Awareness campaigns. ✔️ Nutrition garden promotion.
🔹 Diversification & Sustainability
- PDS should include: ✔️ Pulses and millets for protein and micronutrients. ✔️ Fortified foods to address hidden hunger.
- Promote climate-resilient crops (millets).
Case Study – Chhattisgarh’s PDS Reforms
- Introduced GPS tracking of grain trucks.
- Aadhaar-enabled e-POS machines.
- Grievance redressal helpline.
- As a result, leakages reduced by 20%, and beneficiary satisfaction improved.
🔹 Role of Technology in Food Security
| Technology | Application |
|---|---|
| GIS Mapping | Identifying food-insecure hotspots |
| Blockchain | Ensuring transparency in supply chain |
| Drones | Crop monitoring to anticipate food shortages |
| Mobile Apps | PDS beneficiary grievance redressal |
🔹 Food Security & Global Commitments
- Linked to Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Zero Hunger.
- India’s role in G20 Global Food Security Initiative.
- Ensuring food security in climate-vulnerable regions is critical for global stability.
📚 Practice MCQ
1️⃣ Consider the following statements about the Public Distribution System (PDS):
- It was initially a universal scheme.
- Targeted PDS (TPDS) was introduced in 1997.
- FCI is responsible for the last-mile delivery to consumers.
Which of the above statements are correct?
✅ Options:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
2️⃣ Under NFSA 2013, which of the following benefits is provided?
✅ Options:
(a) 10 kg free rice per person
(b) 5 kg subsidized grain per person
(c) Free LPG cylinder per household
(d) Monthly cash transfer in lieu of food grains
3️⃣ Which reform allows ration cardholders to access PDS benefits in any state?
✅ Options:
(a) e-NAM
(b) One Nation One Ration Card
(c) PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
(d) Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
