Food Security In India

Hello students, welcome to today's lesson on Chapter 4 of your Economics textbook - Food Security in India. I am so happy to be here with you to explore this very important chapter. Food security is a topic that affects every single one of us, and understanding it will help you appreciate the challenges that our nation has faced and continues to face in ensuring that no one goes hungry. So let's begin our journey together.

Before we dive into the details, let me ask you a simple question - what is the most essential thing for survival? You might say water, you might say air, but certainly food is right up there. Just as we need air to breathe, we need food to live. But students, food security means something much more than just having two square meals a day. It is about ensuring that every person in our country, at all times, has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to live a healthy and active life. Now, isn't that a wonderful thought? Let's understand this in detail.

So students, let's look at what food security actually means. Food security has three important dimensions that we need to understand. The first dimension is availability of food. This means that there must be enough food produced within the country, we must be able to import food if needed, and we must have stored food from previous years in government granaries. Think of it like your mother's kitchen - she always keeps some grains and pulses in storage so that even if there's a sudden guest or there's some problem with buying fresh groceries, the family doesn't go hungry. Similarly, a country needs to maintain food reserves.

The second dimension is accessibility. This means that food must be within reach of every person. Now students, this is very important - even if there is plenty of food in the country, if people cannot physically reach it or if it is not available in their locality, then there is no food security. Imagine a village in a remote mountain area - even if there is abundant food in cities like Delhi or Mumbai, if that food cannot reach the village due to bad roads or high costs of transportation, the villagers remain food insecure.

The third dimension is affordability. This means that an individual must have enough money to buy sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs. This is a crucial point students - it is not enough that food is available and accessible; people must also be able to afford it. If a family earns very little money and cannot afford to buy food even when it is available in the market, they are food insecure.

So to summarize what we have learned so far, food security is ensured in a country only when three conditions are met - first, enough food is available for all persons; second, all persons have the capacity to buy food of acceptable quality; and third, there is no barrier on access to food. Now let's move forward and see why this food security is so important.

Students, you must have heard your grandparents or great-grandparents talk about times of scarcity, about famines, about people dying of hunger. These are not just stories from the past - they are real events that have shaped our nation's policies. Let me tell you about the most devastating famine in Indian history - the Bengal Famine of 1943. This famine killed thirty lakh people in the province of Bengal. Thirty lakh students, just imagine that number! That's like the entire population of some small countries dying due to starvation.

Now, let me ask you an important question - why did this famine happen? Some people say it happened because there was a shortage of rice. But let's study the table given in your textbook to find out the truth. Look at Table 4.1 which shows the production of rice in the province of Bengal from 1938 to 1943.

In 1938, production was 85 lakh tonnes and total availability was also 85 lakh tonnes. In 1939, production dropped to 79 lakh tonnes but imports of 4 lakh tonnes brought the total availability to 83 lakh tonnes. In 1940, production was 82 lakh tonnes with 3 lakh tonnes imports, total 85 lakh tonnes. In 1941, production dropped significantly to 68 lakh tonnes with only 2 lakh tonnes imports, total 70 lakh tonnes. Now here's the interesting part - in 1942, production actually increased to 93 lakh tonnes, and even after exporting 1 lakh tonnes, total availability was 92 lakh tonnes, which was higher than most previous years. And in 1943, the year of the famine, production was 76 lakh tonnes with 3 lakh tonnes imports, giving a total availability of 79 lakh tonnes.

So students, what do we observe? The answer to the first question in your textbook is clear - no, the Bengal famine did not happen simply because there was a shortage of rice. In fact, in 1942, production was higher than ever before. The real problem was that despite the availability of food, people could not afford to buy it because of skyrocketing prices. The agricultural labourers, fishermen, transport workers, and other casual labourers were the worst affected because the price of rice increased dramatically and they simply did not have the money to buy food. This is what Nobel laureate Amartya Sen emphasized - food security is not just about availability of food, but about people's access to food through what he called 'entitlements' - a combination of what one can produce, exchange in the market, along with state or other socially provided supplies.

Now, looking at the second question - which year shows a drastic decline in food availability? If you look at the table, 1941 shows a significant drop from 85 lakh tonnes to 70 lakh tonnes, which is a decline of 15 lakh tonnes. That was the year when food availability was drastically reduced.

Now students, let's understand what happens during a calamity. A national disaster like earthquake, drought, flood, tsunami, or widespread failure of crops can cause famine. How is food security affected during such a calamity? Let me explain with a simple example. Suppose there is a severe drought in a particular region. Due to this drought, the total production of foodgrains decreases significantly. This creates a shortage of food in the affected areas. When there is shortage, what happens to prices? That's right - prices go up. At these high prices, some people simply cannot afford to buy food. If such a calamity happens over a very wide area or stretches over a longer time period, it may cause a situation of starvation. And if this starvation becomes massive, it can turn into a famine, which is characterised by widespread deaths due to starvation and epidemics caused by forced use of contaminated water or decaying food, and loss of body resistance due to weakening from starvation.

Now students, I want you to think about this - even today, are there any people in India who go hungry? The answer is yes. The poorest section of the society might be food insecure most of the time, while persons above the poverty line might also become food insecure when the country faces a calamity or disaster. Let me tell you who these food-insecure people are.

The worst affected groups in India are landless people with little or no land to depend upon, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty self-employed workers, and destitutes including beggars. In urban areas, the food insecure families are those whose working members are generally employed in ill-paid occupations and casual labour market. These workers are largely engaged in seasonal activities and are paid very low wages that just ensure bare survival.

Let me tell you the story of Ramu, which is given in your textbook. Ramu works as a casual labourer in agriculture in Raipur village. His eldest son Somu, who is 10 years old, also works as a pali to look after the cattle of the Sarpanch of the village. Somu is employed for the whole year and is paid Rs 1,000 for this work. Ramu has three more sons and two daughters but they are too young to work. His wife Sunhari works part-time as a house cleaner for livestock and gets half a litre of milk and some cooked food along with vegetables for her daily work. She also works in the field along with her husband during the busy season.

Now students, here's the important part - agriculture is a seasonal activity. It employs Ramu only during times of sowing, transplanting, and harvesting. He remains unemployed for about 4 months during the period of plant consolidation and maturing. During these 4 months, he looks for work in other activities like brick laying or construction work. But sometimes he cannot find any work. When this happens, he and his family really face difficulties. Sometimes his small kids have to sleep without food. Milk and vegetables are not a regular part of their meals. So Ramu is food insecure during those 4 months when he remains unemployed because of the seasonal nature of agriculture work.

Now let's answer the questions based on Ramu's story. Why is agriculture a seasonal activity? This is because agriculture depends on weather and climate. There are specific seasons for sowing, transplanting, and harvesting. During other times, there is not much work available in agriculture. Why is Ramu unemployed for about four months in a year? Because agriculture work is only available during sowing, transplanting, and harvesting seasons. What does Ramu when he is unemployed? He looks for work in other activities like brick laying or construction work. Who are supplementing income in Ramu's family? His wife Sunhari and his eldest son Somu are supplementing the family income. Why does Ramu face difficulty when he is unable to have work? Because without work, he does not earn money to buy food for his family. When is Ramu food insecure? He is food insecure during the 4 months when he remains unemployed.

Now students, let me tell you about another story - the story of Ahmad, a rickshaw puller in Bangalore. Ahmad has shifted from Jhumri Taliah along with his 3 brothers, 2 sisters, and old parents. He stays in a jhuggi. The survival of all members of his family depends on his daily earnings from pulling rickshaw. However, he does not have secured employment and his earnings fluctuate every day. Some days he gets enough earnings to save some amount after buying all his day-to-day necessities. On other days, he barely earns enough to buy his daily necessities. But fortunately, Ahmad has a yellow card, which is a PDS card for below poverty line people. With this card, Ahmad gets sufficient quantity of wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene oil for his daily use. He gets these essentials at half of the market price. So the yellow card helps Ahmad by providing him foodgrains at subsidized prices, enabling him to feed his family even with his irregular and low earnings.

Now, does Ahmad have a regular income from rickshaw-pulling? No, his income is irregular and fluctuates daily. How does the yellow card help Ahmad? It helps him by providing foodgrains at prices lower than market prices, which reduces his financial burden and ensures food security for his family.

Now students, let's understand some more important concepts. The social composition along with the inability to buy food also plays a role in food insecurity. The Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and some sections of Other Backward Classes who have either poor land-base or very low land productivity are prone to food insecurity. The people affected by natural disasters, who have to migrate to other areas in search of work, are also among the most food insecure people.

A high incidence of malnutrition prevails among women. This is a matter of serious concern as it puts even the unborn baby at the risk of malnutrition. A large proportion of pregnant and nursing mothers and children under the age of 5 years constitute an important segment of the food insecure population. According to the National Health and Family Survey 1998-99, the number of such women and children is approximately 11 crore.

The food insecure people are disproportionately large in some regions of the country, such as economically backward states with high incidence of poverty, tribal and remote areas, and regions more prone to natural disasters. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra account for the largest number of food insecure people in the country.

Now students, let's understand hunger - another aspect indicating food insecurity. Hunger is not just an expression of poverty, it brings about poverty. The attainment of food security involves eliminating current hunger and reducing the risks of future hunger. Hunger has two dimensions - chronic and seasonal. Chronic hunger is a consequence of diets persistently inadequate in terms of quantity and/or quality. Poor people suffer from chronic hunger because of their very low income and inability to buy food even for survival. Seasonal hunger is related to cycles of food growing and harvesting. This is prevalent in rural areas because of the seasonal nature of agricultural activities, and in urban areas because of casual labourers. For example, there is less work for casual construction labourers during the rainy season. This type of hunger exists when a person is unable to get work for the entire year.

Now let's look at Table 4.2 which shows the percentage of households with hunger in India. In rural areas, seasonal hunger was 16.2% in 1983, which came down to 4.2% in 1993-94 and further to 2.6% in 1999-2000. Chronic hunger in rural areas was 2.3% in 1983, 0.9% in 1993-94, and 0.7% in 1999-2000. In urban areas, seasonal hunger was 5.6% in 1983, 1.1% in 1993-94, and 0.6% in 1999-2000. Chronic hunger in urban areas was 0.8% in 1983, 0.5% in 1993-94, and 0.3% in 1999-2000. The good news is that the percentage of seasonal as well as chronic hunger has declined in India over the years.

Now students, let's move to the next important topic - how India achieved self-sufficiency in foodgrains. After Independence, Indian policy-makers adopted all measures to achieve self-sufficiency in foodgrains. India adopted a new strategy in agriculture, which resulted in the Green Revolution, especially in the production of wheat and rice. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, officially recorded the impressive strides of Green Revolution in agriculture by releasing a special stamp entitled 'Wheat Revolution' in July 1968. The success of wheat was later replicated in rice.

Now let's study Graph 4.1 which shows the production of foodgrains in India from 1960-61 to 2023-24. In 1960-61, production was 80 million tonnes. It increased to 108 million tonnes in 1970-71, 130 million tonnes in 1980-81, 176 million tonnes in 1990-91, 196 million tonnes in 2000-01, 245 million tonnes in 2010-11, 259 million tonnes in 2011-12, 257 million tonnes in 2012-13, 265 million tonnes in 2013-14, 252 million tonnes in 2014-15 and 2015-16, 276 million tonnes in 2016-17, 277 million tonnes in 2017-18, 281 million tonnes in 2018-19, 297 million tonnes in 2019-20, 310 million tonnes in 2020-21, 315 million tonnes in 2021-22, 329 million tonnes in 2022-23, and 328 million tonnes in 2023-24.

Now let's answer the questions based on this graph. In which year did our country cross the 200 million tonne per year mark in foodgrain production? Looking at the table, we can see that in 2000-01, production was 196 million tonnes, which is very close to 200 million tonnes. Actually, it crossed 200 million tonnes in the year 2000-01 itself. In which decade did India experience the highest decadal increase in foodgrain production? Let's calculate - from 1960-61 to 1970-71, the increase was 28 million tonnes (108-80). From 1970-71 to 1980-81, the increase was 22 million tonnes (130-108). From 1980-81 to 1990-91, the increase was 46 million tonnes (176-130). From 1990-91 to 2000-01, the increase was 20 million tonnes (196-176). So the highest decadal increase was in the 1980s, from 1980-81 to 1990-91, when production increased by 46 million tonnes. Is production increase consistent in India since 2000-01? No, it is not consistent. There have been fluctuations - for example, production decreased from 259 million tonnes in 2011-12 to 257 million tonnes in 2012-13, then increased to 265 million tonnes in 2013-14, decreased again to 252 million tonnes in 2014-15 and 2015-16, then increased to 276 million tonnes in 2016-17 and so on.

Now students, let's understand some very important concepts related to food security - Minimum Support Price, Buffer Stock, and Public Distribution System.

What is Minimum Support Price? The government announces a price for farmers' crops before the sowing season. This price is called Minimum Support Price, or MSP. The MSP is declared by the government every year before the sowing season to provide incentives to farmers for raising the production of these crops. The government purchases foodgrains from farmers at this MSP and stores them in granaries.

Now, what is Buffer Stock? Buffer Stock is the stock of foodgrains, namely wheat and rice, procured by the government through the Food Corporation of India, also called FCI. The FCI purchases wheat and rice from the farmers in states where there is surplus production. The farmers are paid a pre-announced price for their crops, which is the MSP. This buffer stock is created by the government to distribute foodgrains in the deficit areas and among the poorer strata of the society at a price lower than the market price, also known as Issue Price. This also helps resolve the problem of shortage of food during adverse weather conditions or during periods of calamity.

Now students, let's understand what the Public Distribution System is. The food procured by the FCI is distributed through government-regulated ration shops among the poorer section of the society. This is called the Public Distribution System, or PDS. Ration shops are now present in most localities, villages, towns, and cities. There are about 5.5 lakh ration shops all over the country. Ration shops, also known as Fair Price Shops, keep stock of foodgrains, sugar, and kerosene for cooking. These items are sold to people at a price lower than the market price. Any family with a ration card can buy a stipulated amount of these items, for example 35 kg of grains, 5 litres of kerosene, 5 kg of sugar, etc., every month from the nearby ration shop.

There are three kinds of ration cards - Antyodaya cards for the poorest of the poor, BPL cards for those below poverty line, and APL cards for all others.

Now students, let's understand the history of rationing in India. The introduction of rationing in India dates back to the 1940s against the backdrop of the Bengal famine. The rationing system was revived in the wake of an acute food shortage during the 1960s, prior to the Green Revolution. In the wake of the high incidence of poverty levels as reported by the National Sample Survey Organisation in the mid-1970s, three important food intervention programmes were introduced - Public Distribution System for foodgrains, Integrated Child Development Services in 1975, and Food-for-Work in 1977-78. Over the years, several new programmes have been launched and some have been restructured.

Now let's discuss the National Food Security Act, 2013. This Act provides for food and nutritional security at affordable prices and enables people to live a life with dignity. Under this Act, 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population have been categorised as eligible households for food security.

Now let's look at the current status of the Public Distribution System. PDS is the most important step taken by the Government of India towards ensuring food security. In the beginning, the coverage of PDS was universal with no discrimination between the poor and the non-poor. Over the years, the policy related to PDS has been revised to make it more efficient and targeted.

In 1992, Revamped Public Distribution System was introduced in 1,700 blocks in the country. The target was to provide the benefits of PDS to remote and backward areas. From June 1997, Targeted Public Distribution System was introduced to adopt the principle of targeting the poor in all areas. It was for the first time that a differential price policy was adopted for poor and non-poor.

Further, in 2000, two special schemes were launched - Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Annapurna Scheme - with special target groups of poorest of the poor and indigent senior citizens respectively.

Antyodaya Anna Yojana was launched in December 2000. Under this scheme, one crore of the poorest among the BPL families were identified. Twenty-five kilograms of foodgrains were made available to each eligible family at a highly subsidized rate of Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 3 per kg for rice. This quantity was enhanced from 25 to 35 kg with effect from April 2002. The scheme was further expanded twice by additional 50 lakh BPL families in June 2003 and in August 2004. With this increase, 2 crore families have been covered under the AAY.

Now let's look at Table 4.3 which summarizes some important features of PDS. Under the old PDS up to 1992, coverage was universal and issue price was Rs 2.34 per kg for wheat and Rs 2.89 per kg for rice. Under RPDS introduced in 1992, coverage was backward blocks with issue price of Rs 2.80 for wheat and Rs 3.77 for rice for 20 kg of foodgrains. Under TPDS launched in 1997, coverage was poor and non-poor with BPL and APL categories, and issue price was Rs 4.15 for wheat and Rs 5.65 for rice for BPL, and Rs 6.10 for wheat and Rs 8.30 for rice for APL, for 35 kg of foodgrains per month. Under AAY introduced in 2002, coverage was poorest of the poor, with issue price of Rs 2.00 for wheat and Rs 3.00 for rice for 35 kg per month. Under APS introduced in 2000, coverage was indigent senior citizens with 10 kg of foodgrains given free. Under National Food Security Act 2013, coverage is priority households with 5 kg per person per month at Rs 2.00 for wheat, Rs 3.00 for rice, and Rs 1.00 for coarse grains.

Now students, let's study Graph 4.2 which shows the central foodgrains stock and minimum buffer norm. The graph shows that in January, actual stock was 529.59 million tonnes against buffer norm of 214.1 million tonnes. In April, actual stock was 564.22 million tonnes against buffer norm of 210.4 million tonnes. In July, actual stock was 900.45 million tonnes against buffer norm of 411.2 million tonnes. In October, actual stock was 721.78 million tonnes against buffer norm of 307.7 million tonnes.

Now let's answer the questions based on this graph. In which recent year was foodgrain stock with the government maximum? Looking at the graph, in July, the stock was 900.45 million tonnes, which was the maximum. What is the minimum buffer stock norm for the FCI? The buffer norms vary by quarter - 214.1 million tonnes in January, 210.4 million tonnes in April, 411.2 million tonnes in July, and 307.7 million tonnes in October. Why were the FCI granaries overflowing with foodgrains? This was because the government procured more foodgrains at enhanced Minimum Support Price, but the distribution was not efficient. Also, the consumption of PDS grains was less than the procurement, leading to accumulation of stocks.

Now students, let's understand some problems with the PDS. The PDS has proved to be the most effective instrument of government policy over the years in stabilizing prices and making food available to consumers at affordable prices. It has been instrumental in averting widespread hunger and famine by supplying food from surplus regions of the country to the deficit ones. However, there are some problems.

FCI godowns are overflowing with grains, with some rotting away and some being eaten by rats. The increased foodgrains procurement at enhanced MSP is the result of pressure exerted by leading foodgrain producing states such as Punjab, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh. Moreover, as the procurement is concentrated in a few prosperous regions and mainly of two crops - wheat and rice - increase in MSP has induced farmers to divert land from production of coarse grains, which is the staple food of the poor, to the production of rice and wheat. The intensive utilisation of water in the cultivation of rice has also led to environmental degradation and fall in the water level.

PDS dealers are sometimes found resorting to malpractices like diverting the grains to open market to get better margin, selling poor quality grains at ration shops, irregular opening of the shops, etc. It is common to find that ration shops regularly have unsold stocks of poor quality grains left. When ration shops are unable to sell, a massive stock of foodgrains piles up with the FCI.

Another factor that has led to the decline of the PDS is that earlier every family, poor and non-poor, had a ration card with a fixed quota of items. Now with TPDS of three different prices, any family above the poverty line gets very little discount at the ration shop. The price for APL family is almost as high as open market price, so there is little incentive for them to buy these items from the ration shop.

Now students, let's discuss the role of cooperatives in food security. The cooperatives are also playing an important role in food security in India, especially in the southern and western parts of the country. The cooperative societies set up shops to sell low-priced goods to poor people. For example, out of all fair price shops running in Tamil Nadu, around 94% are being run by the cooperatives. In Delhi, Mother Dairy is making strides in provision of milk and vegetables to the consumers at controlled rate decided by the Government of Delhi. Amul is another success story of cooperatives in milk and milk products from Gujarat. It has brought about the White Revolution in the country.

Similarly, in Maharashtra, Academy of Development Science has facilitated a network of NGOs for setting up grain banks in different regions. ADS organises training and capacity building programmes on food security for NGOs. Grain Banks are now slowly taking shape in different parts of Maharashtra. ADS efforts to set up Grain Banks, to facilitate replication through other NGOs, and to influence the Government's policy on food security are thus paying rich dividends.

Now students, let's move to the exercises at the end of the chapter and solve them one by one.

Exercise 1: How is food security ensured in India?

Food security is ensured in India through a combination of measures. First, India has achieved self-sufficiency in foodgrains through the Green Revolution, which has helped increase foodgrain production significantly. Second, the government creates buffer stock of foodgrains by procuring wheat and rice from farmers at Minimum Support Price and storing them in granaries through the Food Corporation of India. Third, the Public Distribution System distributes this foodgrains to the poor through ration shops at subsidized prices. Fourth, various poverty alleviation programmes like Antyodaya Anna Yojana, Integrated Child Development Services, Mid-Day Meals, and Food-for-Work have been launched to ensure food security. Fifth, the National Food Security Act, 2013 provides legal entitlement to food for eligible households.

Exercise 2: Which are the people more prone to food insecurity?

The people more prone to food insecurity are - landless people with little or no land to depend upon, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty self-employed workers, and destitutes including beggars. In rural areas, the worst affected are landless or land-poor households. In urban areas, people employed in ill-paid occupations and casual labourers engaged in seasonal activities are most vulnerable. Additionally, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and some sections of Other Backward Classes who have poor land-base or very low land productivity are prone to food insecurity. People affected by natural disasters who have to migrate to other areas in search of work are also among the most food insecure. Pregnant and nursing mothers and children under 5 years of age also constitute an important segment of food insecure population.

Exercise 3: Which states are more food insecure in India?

The food insecure people are disproportionately large in some regions of the country. The states of Uttar Pradesh, especially eastern and south-eastern parts, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra account for the largest number of food insecure people in the country. These are economically backward states with high incidence of poverty, tribal and remote areas, and regions more prone to natural disasters.

Exercise 4: Do you believe that green revolution has made India self-sufficient in food grains? How?

Yes, the Green Revolution has definitely made India self-sufficient in food grains. Before the Green Revolution, India used to import food grains from other countries to meet its domestic requirements. After the Green Revolution, there was a tremendous increase in the production of wheat and rice. The production of foodgrains increased from 80 million tonnes in 1960-61 to over 300 million tonnes in recent years. India now not only meets its domestic demand but also has surplus foodgrains for export. The Green Revolution introduced high-yielding varieties of seeds, better irrigation facilities, increased use of fertilizers, and modern agricultural techniques. This helped India achieve self-sufficiency in foodgrains and also created buffer stocks for use during calamities.

Exercise 5: A section of people in India are still without food. Explain.

Despite India being self-sufficient in food production and having a well-established Public Distribution System, a section of people in India are still without food due to several reasons. First, despite adequate aggregate food availability, many people do not have enough money to buy food. They are below the poverty line and cannot afford nutritious food. Second, food insecurity is high among landless laborers, casual workers, and those engaged in seasonal occupations. During off-seasons, they do not get work and hence cannot earn money to buy food. Third, due to social discrimination, certain communities like SCs, STs, and some OBCs face greater food insecurity because they have poor land-base or very low productivity. Fourth, some remote and tribal areas do not have proper access to food due to poor infrastructure and transportation. Fifth, natural calamities like droughts and floods can disrupt food production and distribution, leading to temporary food insecurity. Sixth, the PDS system has problems like malpractices, poor quality of grains, and irregular opening of shops, which prevent the poor from accessing food.

Exercise 6: What happens to the supply of food when there is a disaster or a calamity?

When there is a disaster or calamity like earthquake, drought, flood, tsunami, or widespread crop failure, the supply of food is severely affected. Due to a natural calamity, total production of foodgrains decreases, creating a shortage of food in the affected areas. This shortage leads to a rise in food prices. At high prices, some people cannot afford to buy food. If such a calamity happens in a very wide spread area or is stretched over a longer time period, it may cause a situation of starvation, which might take a turn of famine. The government uses its buffer stock to distribute food in deficit areas during such times. However, if the calamity is widespread, even the buffer stock may not be sufficient to meet the needs of all affected people.

Exercise 7: Differentiate between seasonal hunger and chronic hunger.

Seasonal hunger and chronic hunger are two different types of hunger. Seasonal hunger is related to cycles of food growing and harvesting. It exists when a person is unable to get work for the entire year. This type of hunger is prevalent in rural areas because of the seasonal nature of agricultural activities, and in urban areas because of casual labourers. For example, there is less work for casual construction labourers during the rainy season. Seasonal hunger is temporary and occurs during specific periods of the year.

On the other hand, chronic hunger is a consequence of diets persistently inadequate in terms of quantity and/or quality. Poor people suffer from chronic hunger because of their very low income and inability to buy food even for survival. Chronic hunger is a permanent condition that persists throughout the year and throughout the person's life. It is caused by persistent poverty and lack of means to acquire food.

Exercise 8: What has our government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss any two schemes launched by the government.

The government has launched several schemes to provide food security to the poor. Let me discuss two important schemes.

First, the Public Distribution System, which was strengthened in the 1970s and later transformed into Targeted Public Distribution System in 1997. Under this system, foodgrains are distributed through ration shops at subsidized prices to families below the poverty line. The government procures foodgrains from farmers at Minimum Support Price and sells them at lower prices through ration shops. This helps the poor get food at affordable prices.

Second, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana launched in December 2000. Under this scheme, one crore of the poorest among the BPL families were identified and provided 25 kilograms of foodgrains at a highly subsidized rate of Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 3 per kg for rice. This quantity was later enhanced to 35 kg. The scheme was expanded to cover 2 crore families. This scheme specifically targets the poorest of the poor and ensures food security for the most vulnerable sections of society.

Other important schemes include Integrated Child Development Services for pregnant women and children, Mid-Day Meals scheme for school children, and National Food Security Act 2013 which provides legal entitlement of food to 75% of rural and 50% of urban population.

Exercise 9: Why buffer stock is created by the government?

Buffer stock is created by the government for several important reasons. First, to ensure food security during times of calamity or disaster. When there is a drought, flood, or any other natural calamity, food production decreases. The buffer stock helps the government distribute food in affected areas during such times. Second, to stabilize food prices. When there is a shortage of food, prices tend to rise. The government can release food from buffer stock into the market to increase supply and control prices. Third, to ensure fair distribution of food between surplus and deficit regions. The government procures food from surplus states and distributes it to deficit states. Fourth, to provide income security to farmers. The government buys foodgrains from farmers at Minimum Support Price, which ensures that farmers get a guaranteed price for their produce, regardless of market conditions.

Exercise 10: Write notes on (a) Minimum support price, (b) Buffer stock, (c) Issue price, (d) Fair price shops.

(a) Minimum Support Price: Minimum Support Price is the price announced by the government for agricultural produce before the sowing season. It is the price at which the government promises to buy the produce from farmers, regardless of the market price. The government announces MSP for various crops like wheat, rice, pulses, and cotton. The purpose of MSP is to provide incentives to farmers to increase production and to ensure them a minimum income for their produce. It protects farmers from falling prices during periods of surplus production.

(b) Buffer Stock: Buffer stock is the stock of foodgrains, mainly wheat and rice, procured by the government through the Food Corporation of India. The FCI purchases wheat and rice from farmers in surplus states at the Minimum Support Price. This stock is stored in granaries and used for distribution through the Public Distribution System. Buffer stock helps in maintaining steady supply of foodgrains, stabilizing prices during shortages, and providing food during emergencies and calamities.

(c) Issue Price: Issue price is the price at which the government sells foodgrains from its buffer stock through the Public Distribution System. This price is lower than the market price to make food affordable for the poor. The issue price is fixed by the government and is subsidized to ensure that the poor can buy foodgrains at affordable rates. Different categories of families - BPL, APL, and Antyodaya - have different issue prices.

(d) Fair Price Shops: Fair Price Shops, also known as ration shops, are government-regulated shops that sell essential commodities like wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene at subsidized prices. These shops are part of the Public Distribution System. Any family with a ration card can buy a fixed quantity of these items every month. There are about 5.5 lakh fair price shops all over the country. These shops help in ensuring food security by making food available at affordable prices to the poor.

Exercise 11: What are the problems of the functioning of ration shops?

There are several problems in the functioning of ration shops. First, malpractices by dealers - sometimes PDS dealers divert grains to the open market to get better margins, sell poor quality grains at ration shops, and do not open shops regularly. Second, poor quality of grains - often the grains supplied through PDS are of inferior quality, and people prefer to buy from private shops even at higher prices. Third, inadequate coverage - not all eligible families have ration cards, and some people are excluded from the system. Fourth, differential pricing has reduced the incentive for APL families to buy from ration shops since the price is almost equal to market price. Fifth, corruption and black marketing exist in the system. Sixth, in remote areas, ration shops may be located far away, making it difficult for people to access them. Seventh, sometimes there are irregularities in the identification of BPL families, leading to inclusion of non-poor and exclusion of genuinely poor families.

Exercise 12: Write a note on the role of cooperatives in providing food and related items.

Cooperatives play a very important role in providing food and related items in India, especially in the southern and western parts of the country. Cooperative societies set up shops to sell low-priced goods to poor people. They help in reducing the role of middlemen and ensuring that benefits reach the poor.

In Tamil Nadu, around 94% of fair price shops are run by cooperatives. This shows the significant role of cooperatives in the PDS. Mother Dairy in Delhi provides milk and vegetables at controlled rates decided by the government. Amul from Gujarat is a very successful cooperative in milk and milk products, which brought about the White Revolution in the country and made India one of the largest milk producers in the world.

In Maharashtra, the Academy of Development Science has facilitated NGOs in setting up grain banks in different regions. These grain banks help in providing food security at the local level, especially in times of need. Cooperatives also help in organizing farmers, reducing wastage, and improving storage facilities. They empower small farmers and marginalized sections by providing them better market access and fair prices for their produce.

Now students, let me give you a brief summary of everything we have learned in this chapter.

In this chapter, we learned that food security means availability, accessibility, and affordability of food to all people at all times. Food security has three dimensions - availability of food, accessibility to food, and affordability of food. We learned about the Bengal Famine of 1943, which killed thirty lakh people, and understood that famine occurs not just due to shortage of food but due to people's inability to afford food.

We learned about the most vulnerable sections of society who face food insecurity - landless laborers, casual workers, traditional artisans, and those living below the poverty line. We understood the stories of Ramu and Ahmad to see how seasonal work and low income lead to food insecurity.

We learned about chronic and seasonal hunger, and how India has made progress in reducing both. We studied the Green Revolution and how it made India self-sufficient in foodgrains, with production increasing from 80 million tonnes in 1960-61 to over 320 million tonnes in recent years.

We learned about important concepts like Minimum Support Price, Buffer Stock, and Public Distribution System. We understood how the government procures foodgrains from farmers at MSP, stores them in granaries, and distributes them to the poor through ration shops at subsidized prices.

We studied the different types of ration cards - Antyodaya, BPL, and APL - and various schemes like Antyodaya Anna Yojana and the National Food Security Act 2013. We also learned about the problems in the PDS like malpractices, poor quality grains, and overflowing granaries.

Finally, we learned about the role of cooperatives like Mother Dairy and Amul in ensuring food security.

Students, food security is a fundamental right and our government is working hard to ensure that no one goes hungry. However, each one of us also has a responsibility to value food and not waste it. Remember, the food that reaches your table goes through a long journey of hard work by farmers, transporters, and government officials. Let us appreciate their efforts and ensure that we contribute to a hunger-free India.

That concludes our lesson on Chapter 4 - Food Security in India. Thank you for your attention, students. Keep learning, keep growing!