The National Food Security Act, 2013, aims to ensure food security by providing subsidized grains to eligible beneficiaries. It helps eliminate hunger and malnutrition by expanding access to essential food items for vulnerable populations, promoting nutritional well-being and addressing food insecurity challenges in India.
UPSC Mains General Studies Paper – 3 Mains 2021
UPSC Mains Civil Services IAS Exam Question Paper – 2021
Approach
- Start with a brief introduction of the keywords National Food Security Act.
- Explain the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
- Discuss How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India.
- conclusion/ way forward accordingly.
Answer
Introduction
- The primary objective of the National Food and Security Act of 2013 (NFSA2013) is to guarantee the food and nutritional security of the population by ensuring affordable access to an adequate quantity of high-quality food. NFSA2013 offers subsidised food grains to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population in India, encompassing nearly two-thirds of the entire Indian population.
Body
The salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013: The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) has several salient features aimed at ensuring food security for the population. Here are some key features:
- Coverage: NFSA provides coverage for approximately two-thirds of the country’s total population. The coverage is based on the Census 2011 population estimates.
- Subsidised Food Grains: Under NFSA, 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population are entitled to receive highly subsidised food grains.
- Beneficiary Categories: The Act identifies two categories of beneficiaries:
- Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households: AAY households are entitled to receive 35 kg of food grains per month.
- Priority Households (PHH): Each individual in a PHH is entitled to 5 kg of food grains per month.
- Identification of Beneficiaries: The identification of beneficiaries/households under NFSA is done by respective State/UT Governments, which are required to frame their own criteria.
- Central Issue Prices: Highly subsidised Central Issue Prices are set for different food grains:
- Coarse grains: Re. 1 per kg
- Wheat: Rs. 2 per kg
- Rice: Rs. 3 per kg
- Grievance Redressal Mechanism: NFSA establishes a grievance redressal mechanism through State Food Commissions, District Grievance Redressal Officers (DGROs), and Vigilance Committees at various levels.
- Transparency Measures: NFSA promotes transparency through provisions such as the disclosure of records relating to PDS operations and placing the beneficiaries’ list in the public domain/portals.
- Allocation and Assistance: There is no reduction in food grain allocation to any State/UT under NFSA. Allocation gaps, if any, are covered with Tide-Over allocation. Additionally, assistance is provided to States/UTs for meeting expenditure on intra-State transportation and handling of food grains, as well as FPS Dealers’ margin.
The Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India with data:The National Food Security Act (NFSA), commonly known as the Food Security Bill, has played a significant role in addressing hunger and malnutrition in India. Here is how the Act has helped:
- Increased Food Grain Coverage: NFSA expanded the coverage of subsidised food grains to a larger portion of the population. It ensures that 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population have access to highly subsidised food grains.
- Reduction in Hunger: The Act aims to eliminate hunger by providing food security to vulnerable sections of society. According to the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020, India’s GHI score has decreased from 38.9 in 2000 to 27.2 in 2020, indicating a significant improvement in reducing hunger.
- Enhanced Nutritional Support: NFSA recognizes the importance of addressing malnutrition. By providing highly subsidised food grains, the Act contributes to improving the nutritional status of individuals, especially women and children.
- Maternal and Child Nutrition: NFSA includes provisions for supplementary nutrition for pregnant and lactating mothers, as well as children in the age group of 6 months to 6 years through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program. This support helps in combating malnutrition among vulnerable groups.
- Reduction in Stunting and Underweight: The implementation of NFSA has shown positive outcomes in reducing stunting and underweight among children. As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted in 2019-2020, the prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years decreased from 38.4% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 34.7%, and the prevalence of underweight declined from 35.7% to 32.7%.
- Improving Exclusive Breastfeeding: The Act promotes exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of a child’s life. According to NFHS-5, the percentage of infants aged 0-5 months who are exclusively breastfed has increased from 55.6% in NFHS-4 to 58.9%.
- School Meal Programs: NFSA mandates the provision of nutritious meals in schools through the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. This program not only improves nutritional intake but also encourages school attendance and retention. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019, around 92% of enrolled children in government schools received mid-day meals.
Challenges remain
- In the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021, India has experienced a decline in its ranking, dropping to the 101st position out of 116 countries.
- This is a decrease from its 94th place in 2020. With a score of 27.5, India falls into the serious category for hunger, indicating significant challenges in addressing the issue.
- The prevalence of undernourishment in the population and the under-five child mortality rate has reached relatively low levels.
- Although there has been a notable reduction in child stunting, declining from 54.2 percent in 1998-1999 to 34.7 percent in 2016-2018, it still remains alarmingly high.
- Presently, India has the highest child wasting rate among the countries covered in the Global Hunger Index (GHI), standing at 17.3 percent according to the latest available data. Remarkably, this rate is slightly higher than the 17.1 percent recorded in 1998-1999.
Conclusion
- Hence, To ensure comprehensive improvements in public health, it is essential to supplement the National Food Security Act (NFSA) with extensive “public health” campaigns. These campaigns should focus on establishing modern sewerage and sanitation systems in urban, semi-urban, and semi-rural areas, as well as providing access to clean drinking water, septic tanks, and lavatories in rural areas.
In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.
For UPSC Prelims Resources, Click here
For Daily Updates and Study Material:
Join our Telegram Channel – Edukemy for IAS
- 1. Learn through Videos – here
- 2. Be Exam Ready by Practicing Daily MCQs – here
- 3. Daily Newsletter – Get all your Current Affairs Covered – here
- 4. Mains Answer Writing Practice – here
