Mains
Economy
Impact of PDS on Household Expenditure
Context
Being an important social security programme in India, the Public Distribution System has a significant impact on household expenditure.
About
● The Public Distribution System (PDS) is one of the most important social security Scheme in India which ensures food security.
● 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population are eligible for subsidized food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.
What is Food Security?
● The basic concept of food security globally is to ensure that all people, at all times, should get access to the basic food for their active and healthy lives. It is characterized by the availability, access, utilization and stability of food.
● Provision for Food Security in the Indian Constitution: The Indian Constitution does not have explicit provisions regarding the Right to Food.
● However, the fundamental right to life which is enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution has a sub-clause: Right to Live with Human Dignity. It may be included in the right to food and other basic necessities.
● Welfare to Right Based Approach: The National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 marks a paradigm shift of the Indian government in the approach to food security. Its policy shifted from a welfare approach to a rights-based approach.
● Legal Right: The NFSA Act legally entitles up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
● Population Coverage: About two-thirds of the population therefore is covered under the Act to receive highly subsidized food grains. Further, the Act has already been implemented in all the States/UTs, and on an all-India basis.
● Out of total beneficiaries of 81.34 crore persons around 80 crore persons have been covered under NFSA for receiving highly subsidised food grains.
● Women Empowerment: It is a step towards women's empowerment in which the eldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above is mandated to be the head of the household for the purpose of issuing of ration cards under the Act.
● The guiding principle of the Act is a life-cycle approach wherein special provisions have been made for pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years.
● Child Welfare: Children are entitled to receive nutritious meals free of cost through a widespread network of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres which are also called Anganwadi Centres under the ICDS scheme.
● They can also be benefitted through schools under the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme.
● Different and higher nutritional norms have been prescribed for malnourished children up to 6 years of age.
● Pregnant Women: Pregnant women and lactating mothers are further entitled to receive cash maternity benefits of Rs. 6,000 to partly compensate for the wage loss during the period of pregnancy and also to supplement nutrition.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
● NFSA covers up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority households.
● Under AAY, the poorest of the poor are entitled to 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month and priority households are entitled to 5 kg per person per month.
● Foodgrains under NFSA were to be made available at subsidized prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains respectively.
Priority Households
● It is a separate category under NFSA. Under priority households, each household is entitled to 5kg of food grains per person per month.
● Those who are not covered under AAY household criteria are covered under priority household criteria.
Impact on Household Expenditure
Diversification of the Food Basket
● If the cost of consuming food grains from the PDS is subsidized, this then frees up resources for a household to spend on other items such as vegetables, milk, pulses, eggs, fish, meat and other nutrient and protein-rich food items.
● The food basket diversification will help households to fight malnutrition and hunger which is prevalent among the poorest of poor sections of the society.
Increased Expenditure on Education Services
Although the education is provided by the government, the households may divert the income to their children to learn some other superior skills such as technology-based education, learning foreign languages etc.
Increased Expenditure on Health Services
The feasibility of free health services in India is not possible without the confirmation of an ailment or disease. For Example, full body checkups in India are not possible without showing any sign of abnormality in government-run hospitals. The extra money in hand may benefit households in having access to these services.
Conclusion
Food security programmes such as PDS and TPDS have on the one hand reduced Child Mortality, Maternal Mortality, and Neonatal mortality while on the other hand have started to combat hunger and malnutrition in India. It can be reflected in the improvement in the health indicators which has been published by the National Family Health Survey Reports (NFHS-5). It has not occurred only due to free food grains from the PDS but also the diversion of the monetary resources of the households towards education and health services. It will also help India to achieve Sustainable Development Goals such as Zero Hunger (SDG 2), No Poverty (SDG 1) and Good Health & Well Being (SDG 3).
Prelims
Polity
Centre amends rules to broaden the administrative role of J&K L-G
Context
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) widened the ambit of the administrative role of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
About
● Recently, the Transaction of Business Rules for Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir has been amended by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
● It has provided some of the new powers to the Lieutenant Governor pertaining to police, public order, and All India Service (AIS) which require prior concurrence of the Finance Department and also their transfers and postings.
Appointment of Officials
● After the election and formation of the new government, any proposal regarding the appointment of an Advocate-General, Law Officers and proposals regarding grant or refusal of prosecution sanction or filing of appeal must be approved by the Lieutenant Governor.
● It includes ‘Police’, ‘Public Order’, ‘All India Service’ and ‘Anti Corruption Bureau’ in broader terms.
Other Powers
The amendment also includes provisions for any other proposal regarding the grant or refusal of prosecution sanction or filing of the appeal shall be placed before the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
Mains Question
1. Discuss the importance of the Public Distribution System in ascertaining the food security in India.
Prelims Questions
Prelims
1. Consider the following statements with reference to the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013;
1) It 2013 marks a paradigm shift of the Indian government in the approach to food security from a welfare approach to a rights-based approach.
2) It covers 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population.
3) It also provides special provisions for pregnant women and lactating mothers and children.
Which of the following statements is/are Correct?
A. One Only
B. Two Only
C. All Three
D. None
Answer: C
2. Consider the following statements regarding NFSA Act, 2013:
1) Priority households get 5kg of food grains per person per month.
2) Antyodaya Anna households get 35 kg of food grains per family per month.
3) Pregnant women and lactating mothers are further entitled to receive cash maternity benefits of Rs. 6,000.
Which of the following statements is/are Correct?
A. One Only
B. Two Only
C. All Three
D. None
Answer: C
