Chapter 4: Food Security in India

Answer: Food security in India is ensured mainly through two components: buffer stock and the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Buffer stock: The government, through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), procures wheat and rice from farmers at the Minimum Support Price. This stock is kept in government granaries.

Public Distribution System: The foodgrains procured by the FCI are distributed among poorer sections of society through government-regulated ration shops, also called Fair Price Shops, at prices lower than the market price.

Food security is also supported by government vigilance and action during natural calamities, disasters, pandemics or food shortages.

Answer: The people more prone to food insecurity are generally those who have low income, irregular work, little land or no stable source of livelihood.

In rural areas, landless labourers, land-poor households, traditional artisans, petty self-employed workers, destitutes and beggars are more prone to food insecurity. In urban areas, people employed in low-paid occupations and casual labourers engaged in seasonal activities are more vulnerable.

Socially disadvantaged groups such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and some sections of Other Backward Classes are also more food insecure. People affected by natural disasters, migrants, women, pregnant and nursing mothers, and children are especially vulnerable.

Answer: The economically backward states with high incidence of poverty are more food insecure in India.

The states and regions with a large number of food-insecure people include eastern and south-eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Tribal, remote, drought-prone and disaster-prone areas are also more vulnerable to food insecurity because people living there often face poverty, low employment opportunities and poor access to food distribution systems.

Answer: Yes, the Green Revolution helped India become self-sufficient in food grains, especially wheat and rice.

After Independence, India adopted a new agricultural strategy based on High Yielding Variety seeds, irrigation, chemical fertilisers, pesticides and modern farming methods. This led to a sharp increase in foodgrain production, particularly in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.

The Green Revolution reduced India’s dependence on food imports and helped the country build buffer stocks of foodgrains. India was able to avoid large-scale famines after Independence because of increased domestic production and better food management.

However, the benefits of the Green Revolution were not equally distributed across all regions and crops. Wheat production increased the most, followed later by rice.

Answer: A section of people in India are still without food because food availability alone does not ensure food security. People also need purchasing power and access to food.

Many landless labourers, casual workers, poor households, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and people working in low-paid seasonal jobs do not have enough income to buy sufficient food. During unemployment or illness, their food insecurity increases further.

Problems in the Public Distribution System also affect access to food. Some ration shop dealers divert grains to the open market, sell poor quality grains, open shops irregularly or behave unfairly with poor consumers. Poverty, unemployment, corruption and unequal access to food are major reasons why some people still remain without adequate food.

Answer: When there is a disaster or calamity such as drought, flood, earthquake, tsunami, widespread crop failure or pandemic, the supply of food is badly affected.

Due to a calamity, total production of foodgrains may decrease. This creates a shortage of food in the affected areas. When food becomes scarce, prices rise. Poor people are unable to buy food at high prices. If the calamity is widespread or continues for a long time, it may lead to starvation and even famine.

Therefore, food security is especially important during disasters so that people can get food even when normal production and distribution systems are disturbed.

Answer:

Answer: The government has taken several steps to provide food security to the poor. The most important steps are maintaining buffer stock, running the Public Distribution System, and launching poverty alleviation and food-based welfare schemes.

(i) Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): This scheme was launched for the poorest of the poor. Under this scheme, highly subsidised foodgrains are provided to the most vulnerable poor households through the ration shop system.

(ii) Annapurna Scheme (APS): This scheme was launched for indigent senior citizens who are not covered under pension schemes. It provides food support to elderly poor people who are unable to maintain themselves.

Other food security programmes include the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services, Food-for-Work programmes and the Public Distribution System.

Answer: Buffer stock is created by the government to ensure food security in the country.

The government procures foodgrains such as wheat and rice from farmers through the Food Corporation of India. These foodgrains are stored in government granaries and later distributed in deficit areas and among poorer sections of society at prices lower than the market price.

Buffer stock also helps the government deal with food shortages during droughts, floods, crop failures, disasters or other emergencies. It stabilises food supply and prevents a sharp rise in food prices.

Answer:

(a) Minimum Support Price: Minimum Support Price, or MSP, is the pre-announced price at which the government purchases crops from farmers. It is declared before the sowing season to give farmers an incentive to produce foodgrains and to protect them from sharp price falls.

(b) Buffer Stock: Buffer stock is the stock of foodgrains, mainly wheat and rice, procured by the government through the Food Corporation of India. It is stored in granaries and used for distribution through the Public Distribution System and during emergencies.

(c) Issue Price: Issue price is the price at which foodgrains from the buffer stock are distributed among poorer sections of society through ration shops. It is lower than the market price and helps poor families access food at affordable rates.

(d) Fair Price Shops: Fair Price Shops are government-regulated ration shops that distribute foodgrains, sugar, kerosene and other essential items to people at prices lower than the market price. They are an important part of the Public Distribution System.

Answer: The functioning of ration shops has several problems:

(i) Some ration shop dealers divert foodgrains to the open market to earn higher profits.
(ii) Poor quality grains are sometimes sold through ration shops.
(iii) Ration shops may not open regularly, causing difficulty for poor families.
(iv) Some dealers sell less than the fixed quantity or charge more than the official price.
(v) Many Above Poverty Line families get very little discount at ration shops, so they do not find it useful to buy from them.
(vi) Corruption and irregular supply reduce the effectiveness of the Public Distribution System.

Because of these problems, the benefits of the PDS do not always reach the intended poor households properly.

Answer: Cooperatives play an important role in providing food and related items, especially in southern and western parts of India.

Cooperative societies set up shops to sell low-priced goods to poor people. In Tamil Nadu, many fair price shops are run by cooperatives. In Delhi, Mother Dairy provides milk and vegetables to consumers at controlled prices decided by the government. Amul, a milk cooperative from Gujarat, is another successful example. It has helped bring about the White Revolution in India.

Cooperatives also support food security through grain banks and local food distribution networks. For example, in Maharashtra, the Academy of Development Science has helped set up grain banks through NGOs. Such initiatives help poor and vulnerable communities access food at reasonable prices.