The Government of India accords high priority to the issue of hunger and malnutrition in the country. It is implementing several schemes and programmes through State Governments and UT Administrations to improve the food security situation in the country. Brief details of these schemes and measures are given below:
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Salient features of the National Food Security Act under which the policy instrument of the PMGKAY scheme has been implemented are as follows:
- Coverage and entitlement under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS):
The PMGKAY scheme covers up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population under TPDS, with a uniform entitlement of 5 kg per person per month under Priority Household (PHH) and 35 kg per household per month under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households which constitute poorest of the poor, irrespective of the family size even if the household has only one individual.
- State-wise coverage: Corresponding to the all-India coverage of 75% and 50% in the rural and urban areas respectively, State-wise coverage has been determined by then Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) on the basis of 2011-12 NSSO Household Consumption Expenditure Survey data.
- Central Issue Price (CIP) of foodgrains: At present, foodgrains are being distributed to about 80 crore beneficiaries, free of cost.
- Identification of Households:Within the coverage under TPDS determined for each State, the work of identification of eligible households is done by States/UTs.
- Nutritional Support to women and children: Pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years are entitled to meals as per prescribed nutritional norms under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and PM-POSHAN (Formerly Mid-Day Meal) schemes. Higher nutritional norms have been prescribed for malnourished children up to 6 years of age.
- Maternity Benefit: Pregnant women and lactating mothers are also entitled to receive maternity benefits of not less than Rs.6,000.
- Women Empowerment: Eldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above is the head of the household for the purpose of issuing ration cards for receiving foodgrains.
- Grievance Redressal Mechanism: Grievance Redressal mechanism at the District and State levels.
- Cost of intra-state transportation & handling of foodgrains and FPS Dealers' margin: The Central Government provides assistance to States in meeting the expenditure incurred by them on the transportation of foodgrains within the State, its handling and FPS dealers’ margin as per norms devised for this purpose.
- Transparency and Accountability: Provisions have been made for disclosure of records relating to PDS, social audits, and setting up of Vigilance Committees in order to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Food Security Allowance: Provision for food security allowance to entitled beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals.
The Act legally entitles up to 75% of the rural population and up to 50% of the urban population to receive subsidised foodgrains under PMGKAY, which at Census 2011 comes to 81.35 crore persons. The Coverage is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit. The Act is being implemented in all the States/UTs, and on an all-India basis, out of maximum coverage of 81.35 crore, around 80.67 crore persons have been covered under NFSA
The policy instruments, programmes and schemes of the Government of India are financed through adequate budgetary support from the Central Government for the central sector initiatives; in association with State Governments through centrally sponsored schemes and also through various mechanisms like food subsidies.
It is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State Governments
The implementation of NFSA is being mentioned through various information technology-based mechanisms of this department i.e. NFSA Portal, IMPDS portal, mapper reports etc.
Around 415 million people exited poverty within a span of just 15 years between 2005 to 2021 in India, according to the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, released by UNDP. People in India who are multidimensional poor and deprived under the Nutrition Indicator declined from 44% in 2004-06 to 12% in 2019-21. These reports indirectly reflect the impact of Government’s Social Safety Net programs.
https://hdr.undp.org/content/2024-global-multidimensional-poverty-index-mpi#/indicies/MPI
The government of India is providing food grains free of cost to 80.67 crore persons to ensure food security in the country. The government of India is also providing nutritious food to lactating mothers and children aged 6 to 14 under various schemes. The continuation of free food grains under PMGKAY for a further five years with effect from 1st January 2024, in its present form,
- reflect the long-term commitment and vision of the Government to this effective mechanism for addressing food and nutrition security of the poor and needy people in the country;
- mitigate the financial hardship of the affected strata of society in a sustainable manner by providing free food grains to AAY households and PHH beneficiaries;
- ensure long-term pricing strategy with zero cost to the beneficiaries which is vital for effective penetration of the Public Distribution System;
- strengthen the implementation of NFSA in terms of accessibility, affordability and availability of entitled food grains and
- Continue to provide a unified institutional mechanism of integrated schemes of PMGKAY throughout the country.Continue to provide a unified institutional mechanism of integrated schemes of PMGKAY throughout the country
The Government of India is working with several International Organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) etc. in various Schemes including Rice Fortification and Fair Price Shop transformation with a view to dovetailing the Schemes in the respective areas for reforms in the public distribution system and providing nutrition to affected strata of society.
SDG 2- Zero Hunger
Target 2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
- Indicator: 2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment
- Indicator: 2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
SDG 2- Zero Hunger
Target 2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
- Indicator: 2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment
- Indicator: 2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
The Government of India accords high priority to the issue of hunger and malnutrition in the country. It is implementing several schemes and programmes through State Governments and UT Administrations to improve the food security situation in the country. Brief details of these schemes and measures are given below:
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Salient features of the National Food Security Act under which the policy instrument of the PMGKAY scheme has been implemented are as follows:
- Coverage and entitlement under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS):
The PMGKAY scheme covers up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population under TPDS, with a uniform entitlement of 5 kg per person per month under Priority Household (PHH) and 35 kg per household per month under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households which constitute poorest of the poor, irrespective of the family size even if the household has only one individual.
- State-wise coverage: Corresponding to the all-India coverage of 75% and 50% in the rural and urban areas respectively, State-wise coverage has been determined by then Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) on the basis of 2011-12 NSSO Household Consumption Expenditure Survey data.
- Central Issue Price (CIP) of foodgrains: At present, foodgrains are being distributed to about 80 crore beneficiaries, free of cost.
- Identification of Households:Within the coverage under TPDS determined for each State, the work of identification of eligible households is done by States/UTs.
- Nutritional Support to women and children: Pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years are entitled to meals as per prescribed nutritional norms under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and PM-POSHAN (Formerly Mid-Day Meal) schemes. Higher nutritional norms have been prescribed for malnourished children up to 6 years of age.
- Maternity Benefit: Pregnant women and lactating mothers are also entitled to receive maternity benefits of not less than Rs.6,000.
- Women Empowerment: Eldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above is the head of the household for the purpose of issuing ration cards for receiving foodgrains.
- Grievance Redressal Mechanism: Grievance Redressal mechanism at the District and State levels.
- Cost of intra-state transportation & handling of foodgrains and FPS Dealers’ margin: The Central Government provides assistance to States in meeting the expenditure incurred by them on the transportation of foodgrains within the State, its handling and FPS dealers’ margin as per norms devised for this purpose.
- Transparency and Accountability: Provisions have been made for disclosure of records relating to PDS, social audits, and setting up of Vigilance Committees in order to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Food Security Allowance: Provision for food security allowance to entitled beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals.
The government of India is providing food grains free of cost to 80.67 crore persons to ensure food security in the country. The government of India is also providing nutritious food to lactating mothers and children aged 6 to 14 under various schemes. The continuation of free food grains under PMGKAY for a further five years with effect from 1st January 2024, in its present form,
- reflect the long-term commitment and vision of the Government to this effective mechanism for addressing food and nutrition security of the poor and needy people in the country;
- mitigate the financial hardship of the affected strata of society in a sustainable manner by providing free food grains to AAY households and PHH beneficiaries;
- ensure long-term pricing strategy with zero cost to the beneficiaries which is vital for effective penetration of the Public Distribution System;
- strengthen the implementation of NFSA in terms of accessibility, affordability and availability of entitled food grains and
- Continue to provide a unified institutional mechanism of integrated schemes of PMGKAY throughout the country.Continue to provide a unified institutional mechanism of integrated schemes of PMGKAY throughout the country
Child and family support/benefits; Emergency food transfer/supply, including humanitarian
The Government of India is working with several International Organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) etc. in various Schemes including Rice Fortification and Fair Price Shop transformation with a view to dovetailing the Schemes in the respective areas for reforms in the public distribution system and providing nutrition to affected strata of society.
It is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State Governments
The Act legally entitles up to 75% of the rural population and up to 50% of the urban population to receive subsidised foodgrains under PMGKAY, which at Census 2011 comes to 81.35 crore persons. The Coverage is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit. The Act is being implemented in all the States/UTs, and on an all-India basis, out of maximum coverage of 81.35 crore, around 80.67 crore persons have been covered under NFSA
The policy instruments, programmes and schemes of the Government of India are financed through adequate budgetary support from the Central Government for the central sector initiatives; in association with State Governments through centrally sponsored schemes and also through various mechanisms like food subsidies.
The implementation of NFSA is being mentioned through various information technology-based mechanisms of this department i.e. NFSA Portal, IMPDS portal, mapper reports etc.