Food Security and Public Distribution
NCERT Class 9 • Economics • Chapter "Food Security in India"
Food Security and Public Distribution
Food security means that enough food is available, that people have the means to buy it, and that nothing blocks their access to it. A country can have full godowns and still have hungry people, which is why food security is judged by all three dimensions together and not by production alone.
The Three Dimensions and Who Is Vulnerable
- Availability means food produced at home plus imports plus the stock held in government godowns.
- Accessibility means that food is within reach of every person, which depends on transport and distribution.
- Affordability means a household has enough income to buy adequate and safe food.
- Food insecurity is worst among landless labourers, casual workers, traditional artisans and destitute households.
- In many families women, especially expectant mothers, and children face the greatest nutritional shortfall.
- Seasonal food insecurity follows the farming calendar; chronic food insecurity comes from persistently low income.
Buffer Stock and the Public Distribution System
- A buffer stock of wheat and rice is built by purchasing from farmers at the minimum support price.
- The purchased grain is stored and released through the public distribution system at a controlled issue price.
- Fair price shops or ration shops distribute grain, sugar and kerosene to holders of ration cards.
- Different categories of cards distinguish households by economic condition, with the poorest getting the largest benefit.
- Supporting programmes include midday meals in schools, nutrition support for mothers and infants, and food for work.
- The system's problems are leakage and diversion, poor quality grain, irregular opening of shops and high storage cost.
- Computerisation, aadhaar linked distribution and portability of ration cards were introduced to reduce leakage.
- Cooperatives run shops and outlets in several states, supplementing the government distribution network.
- A national food security law made subsidised grain a legal entitlement for identified households.
| Dimension | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Availability | Production plus imports plus stock |
| Accessibility | Food within reach of every person |
| Affordability | Income enough to buy adequate safe food |
Buffer stock — the stock of food grain procured by the government to distribute in deficit areas and to stabilise prices.
Exam me kaise aata hai
- The three dimensions of food security are — availability, accessibility, affordability
- Shops distributing grain at controlled prices are — fair price shops
- Grain procured and stored by the government is the — buffer stock
- Food insecurity following the farming calendar is — seasonal
UPSC/State PSC ke liye
- Large buffer stocks and hunger can exist together, which shows that the binding problem is access and affordability, not availability.
- Portability of ration cards matters most for migrant workers, who were earlier tied to a shop in their home district.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Food security means only producing enough food | It also requires access and affordability | ✓
✗ Buffer stock is meant only for war | It is used to supply deficit areas and steady prices | ✓
✗ All households get identical ration benefit | Benefit differs by card category and economic condition | ✓
Ek nazar me
- Food security has three dimensions: availability, accessibility, affordability.
- Landless labour, casual workers and destitute households are most vulnerable.
- Buffer stock is procured at the support price and released through ration shops.
- Leakage, quality and storage cost are the main problems being addressed.
Ab practice karein
Rural economy aur food security se har exam me questions bante hain. ExamAtlas ke mock test se abhi practice karein.