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Public Distribution SystemSubscribe to Public Distribution System

Moving from Food Insecurity to Food Security

Vol. 58, Issue No. 36, 09 Sep, 2023
Amit Kumar, Damodar Suar, Bimal Kishore Sahoo

The National Food Security Act, 2013 was enacted to facilitate equitable access to foodgrains in order to ensure sufficient nutrition for all. Post its implementation, despite the increase in availability and accessibility of foodgrains, a survey conducted among beneficiary households in Bihar and Haryana reveals that many do not get the recommended amount of foodgrains in the scheduled time, and more than 80% of the beneficiary and of non–beneficiary families suffer from calorie deficits. Corruption and malpractices such as black marketing need to be curbed to ensure effective implementation of the act and to achieve the goal of ending hunger and malnutrition.

Character of the Indian Farmers’ Movement

Vol. 58, Issue No. 34, 26 Aug, 2023
Ranjini Basu

The Emerging Face of Transformative Politics in India: Farmers’ Movement by Amit Bhaduri, New Delhi: Aakar Books, 2022; pp 84, `225.

Biometric Electronic Point of Sale Machines and Food Security

Vol. 58, Issue No. 33, 19 Aug, 2023
Ben Krishna, Thasni T

We evaluate the impact of the electronic point of sale machines installed in fair price shops in India in improving the nutritional status of the beneficiaries using statewise data from the National Data and Analytics Platform. Through the treatment effects model, the results highlight that the use of technology in the public distribution system can also improve the condition of children and aid genuine beneficiaries apart from reducing the leakages.

Examining the Effectiveness of the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ Scheme

Vol. 57, Issue No. 35, 27 Aug, 2022
Vamakshi

This article studies the “One Nation, One Ration Card” scheme highlighting its ground-level ineffectiveness among the migrant workers. The possible reasons responsible for the ineffectiveness of the scheme are discussed with a special focus on the soft factors, that is, the mindset of the targeted group. It also details some recommendation measures that policymakers should adopt to improve last-mile delivery and make this scheme more effective.

Evaluation of the National Food Security Act, 2013 in Bihar: Reflections from the Field Study

Vol. 57, Issue No. 5, 29 Jan, 2022
The National Food Security Act, 2013 is a far-reaching public policy intervention to protect people against food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition. The NFSA 2013 brings the old public distribution system into the ambit of the NFSA 2013. The NFSA needs to be routinely evaluated for the better performance and assessment of its implementation as per the stated objectives. This study assesses the overall status and progress of the implementation of NFSA 2013 through the PDS in Bihar based on a field study conducted in 14 districts.

Portability in the Public Distribution System

Vol. 57, Issue No. 2, 08 Jan, 2022
Maya Ganesh, Rakesh Allu, Sarang Deo, Sripad Devalkar

The public distribution system in India is a major instrument for achieving the goal of “Zero Hunger.” Despite the vast amounts of resources spent, the PDS suffers from several inefficiencies largely attributable to the monopoly of agents involved in the last-mile delivery of grains. To address this issue, several state governments in India have started implementing a novel intervention called portability. This intervention offers beneficiaries the choice of when and where they can avail of their food entitlements while the government controls what and how much. We use detailed and large-scale programme data from Andhra Pradesh to analyse the uptake of portability among the beneficiaries and identify its underlying drivers.

 

Food Security and the Public Distribution System in Jammu and Kashmir

Vol. 55, Issue No. 51, 26 Dec, 2020
Shaveta Kohli, Khurshid Ahmad Rather

Till 1990–91, Jammu and Kashmir used to be a food surplus state, but it turned into a food-deficit state by 2000, due to changing land use pattern, stagnant agricultural production, unfavourable climate, conflict, and misplaced policy priorities. J&K faces issues with availability and accessibility more than with affordability. This study suggests systematic reforms to curb the leakages within the system in order to provide food security to the people at large.

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Corrigendum

In our article “Food Security and the Public Distribution System in Jammu and Kashmir,” published in the 26 December 2020 issue of EPW, we inadvertently missed citing Dar (2015) for Table 1 and para 7 on page 19. Therefore, we add the following citation in our article through this corrigendum: Dar, Tanveer Ahmad (2015): “Food Security in Kashmir: Food Production and the Universal Public Distribution System,” Social Change, Vol 45, No 3, pp 400–20. The inconvenience is deeply regretted. —Shaveta Kohli, Khurshid Ahmad Rather

The error is regretted. — Ed.

Food Security and COVID-19: Why India’s Public Distribution System Requires an Overhaul

In light of the ongoing pandemic and India's crumbling economy, what are the factors that we should pay heed to if we're to mitigate the food insecurity that India's migrant population faces?

Research Radio Ep 4: Why India’s One-size-fits-all Food Security Programme Fails to Address the Needs of Beneficiaries

In this episode, we speak to Mamata Pradhan and Devesh Roy about India's food security programmee, the Public Distrbution System.

A Conundrum of Efficiency And Inclusion: Aadhaar and Fair Price Shops

Vol. 55, Issue No. 14, 04 Apr, 2020
Instead of looking at Aadhaar as a technological “fix” to the problems of welfare delivery systems, we need to focus on a more nuanced approach to administrative reform. The authors investigate use of Aadhaar in Fair Price Shops in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Troubles with Cash Food Subsidy

Vol. 54, Issue No. 43, 26 Oct, 2019
Barun Kumar Barnwal, Mrityunjay Pandey

A pilot project of cash food subsidy to replace the public distribution system in Nagri block of Ranchi district in Jharkhand is analysed to highlight the problems experienced by Jharkhand in implementation of cash food subsidy through the direct benefit transfer system in the PDS. Further, the limitations of cash transfer as a means to replace the PDS are highlighted as also the infrastructural and institutional constraints to impose digitalisation in rural Indian conditions.

 

What Is the Effective Delivery Mechanism of Food Support in India?

Vol. 54, Issue No. 42, 19 Oct, 2019
Mamata Pradhan, Devesh Roy, Vinay Sonkar

The public distribution system is the cornerstone of anti-poverty initiatives in India to address the issue of hunger and malnutrition, but is plagued with leakages and corruption. Though several possible reasons account for these problems, one factor that is generally overlooked is the lack of assessment of the preference of the beneficiaries in terms of product portfolio, selection, and delivery mechanisms. Through a mixed methods analysis across Bihar, Odisha and (eastern) Uttar Pradesh, this paper assesses the factors explaining the diversity in the preference for the delivery mechanism. What would be a straightforward choice problem among delivery mechanisms turns out to be far more intricate when mediated by contextual heterogeneity and unequal power relations at different levels. The results highlight the centrality of demand and build a case for demand assessment in improving the effectiveness of the system.

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