Published on 17 Feb 2025
In India, around 23 crore people are multidimensionally poor with 71% of Indians unable to afford a healthy diet (Center for Science and Environment report). Hence, the government has the responsibility to implement various food security programmes to reduce hunger in India.
|
Scheme |
Objectives |
Achievements |
|
Public distribution system (PDS) under the National Food Security Act, |
✔ To protect low-income groups by guaranteeing the supply of certain minimum quantities of food grains at affordable prices. ✔ Ensuring equitable distribution. ✔ Controlling the price rise of essential commodities in the open market. |
✔ Food grains are provided at a subsidized cost for 81 crore people. |
|
Mid-day meal scheme |
✔ To provide nutritional support to the children. ✔ To increase the enrolment of the children belonging to disadvantaged sections in the schools. |
✔ Around 11.8 crore children are receiving food in government and government-aided schools. |
|
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) |
✔ To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group 0-6 years. ✔ To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout. |
✔ Annually, over 8 crore mothers and children receive nutrition support under ICDS. |
Challenges in the implementation of these food security programmes
✔ Identification of beneficiaries: Inaccuracies in the identification process may lead to deserving households being excluded or ineligible households benefiting from the programs.
● Example: As per the PRS report, there is an inclusion error and exclusion error of 61% and 25% respectively in PDS.
✔ Corruption and transparency: Corruption in the distribution system, including at fair price shops and procurement centres, can undermine the effectiveness of food security programs.
● Example: Instances across various states where mid-day meal rice has been sold in the black market.
✔ Inadequate storage and transportation infrastructure: Lead to post-harvest losses and inefficiencies in the distribution system.
● Example: As per Consumer Affairs ministry, annual storage loss in India has been around 7000 crore.
✔ Quality control: Ensuring the quality of food grains distributed under food security programmes is challenging, and poor quality can impact the nutritional value of the food provided and compromise the health of beneficiaries.
● Example: Instances where poor-quality grain is being used to cook food for a mid-day meal scheme.
✔ Inflation and price volatility: Fluctuations in market price and inflationary pressures affect the viability of subsidised food programs and put a fiscal strain on the government.
● Example: The money spent by the government on food subsidies over the past 9 years has been 18.5 lakh crore.
Way forward
✔ End-to-end computerisation: The Wadhwa committee recommended computerisation to prevent leakage of food grains.
✔ Smart ration card: States like Haryana have already implemented such a measure to prevent counterfeiting.
✔ Incorporate NGOs for quality control: Conducting quality checks of the foodgrains distributed to the schools to protect the health of students.
Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach involving policy reforms, improvements in infrastructure, increased transparency and the use of technology to enhance efficiency and accountability in the implementation of food security programs.
Social Justice
Food security
Hunger
PDS
ICDS
MDM
Public Distribution System
General Studies Paper 2
Social Justice
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