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Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

Food Security in India is one of the important topics under the ESI as well as ARD sections of
both Phase 1 and Phase 2 in the NABARD Exams. Therefore, for your convenience we have
covered the topic in complete detail for NABARD Exams. In Exams like NABARD Grade A and
Grade B, every mark is of utmost importance, so it becomes extremely necessary that you
cover the topics given in the syllabus of Economics & Social Issues and Agriculture & Rural
Development with utmost sincerity. We have complied this eBook covering all necessary
aspects of Food Security in India.
Sample Questions:
Q. What is the rank of India in the Global Hunger Index 2018?
1. 104th
2. 103rd
3. 115th
4. 93rd
Answer: (2)
Q. What percentage of Rural and Urban Population does National Food Security Act 2013
covers?
1. 75% of rural population & 50% of urban population
2. 65% of rural population & 50% of urban population
3. 55% of rural population & 50% of urban population
4. 70% of rural population & 50% of urban population
Answer: (1)

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Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

Contents
What is Food Security? ....................................................................................... 4
Why Food Security? ............................................................................................ 4
Who are food-insecure? ..................................................................................... 5
Initiatives taken by the Government to tackle the problem of Food Insecurity in
India? .................................................................................................................. 5
1. Green Revolution ....................................................................................... 5
2. Creation of Buffer Stock ............................................................................ 6
3. Public Distribution System ......................................................................... 7
4. Mid-Day Meal Scheme............................................................................... 7
5. National Food Security Act 2013 ............................................................... 8
6. National Food Security Mission 2007 ........................................................ 8
7. Government e-Market Place ..................................................................... 9
8. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana ...........................................................10
9. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana ................................................................... 11
10. Annapurna Yojana ................................................................................ 13
11. Antyodaya Yojana ................................................................................. 13
12. Sustainable Development Goals ........................................................... 14
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

Food Security of India

What is Food Security?

• Food security means availability, accessibility and affordability of food to all people
at all times.
• 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 life and is
characterized by availability, access, utilization and stability of food.
• Though the Indian Constitution does not have any explicit provision regarding right to
food, the fundamental right to life enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution may be
interpreted to include right to live with human dignity, which may include the right
to food and other basic necessities.
Food security means something more than getting two square meals.
Food security has following dimensions

• Availability of food means food production within the country, food imports and the
previous year’s stock stored in government granaries.
• Accessibility means food is within reach of every person.
• Affordability implies that an individual has enough money to buy sufficient, safe and
nutritious food to meet one's dietary needs.
Thus, food security is ensured in a country only if

• Enough food is available for all the persons

• All persons have the capacity to buy food of acceptable quality and
• There is no barrier on access to food.

Why Food Security?

• The poorest section of the society might be food insecure most of the times while
persons above the poverty line might also be food insecure when the country faces a
national disaster/calamity like earthquake, drought, flood, tsunami, widespread
failure of crops causing famine, etc.
• According to United Nations report, there are nearly 195 million undernourished
people, India shares a quarter of the global hunger burden. Nearly 47 million or 4 out
of 10 children in India (40% of Indian children were reportedly undernourished in the
year 2015) are not meeting their full human potential because of chronic
undernutrition or stunting.
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

• The country is home to over 30.9% of all stunted children under five- the highest in
the world.
• Close to 37% of Indian kids under five years of age are underweight.

• India ranks 76 out of 113 major countries in terms of food security index.

• Global Hunger Index 2018: India ranks 103rd out of 119 countries

Who are food-insecure?

• The worst affected groups are landless people with little or no land to depend upon,
traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty self-employed workers
and destitute including beggars.
• In the 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.
• The SCs, STs and some sections of the OBCs (lower castes among them) 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.

Initiatives taken by the Government to tackle the problem of Food

Insecurity in India?

1. Green Revolution

• The Green Revolution within India commenced in the early 1960s that led to
an increase in food grain production due to the adoption of modern methods
and technology such as the use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, tractors,
irrigation facilities, pesticides, and fertilizers.
• It was mainly found by M.S. Swaminathan. This was part of the larger Green
revolution endeavour initiated by Norman Borlaug, which leveraged
agricultural research and technology to increase agricultural productivity in the
developing world.
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

• The introduction of high-yielding varieties (HYV) of seeds and the increased

quality of fertilizers and irrigation technique led to the increase in production
to make the country self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in
India.
• The methods adopted included the use of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of
seeds with modern farming methods.
• Other Practices
(i) Improved Irrigation infrastructure
(ii) Use of pesticides
(iii) Use of insecticides
(iv) Use of herbicides
(v) Consolidation of holdings
(vi) Land reforms
(vii) Improved rural infrastructure
(viii) Supply of agricultural credit
(ix) Use of chemical or synthetic fertilizers
(x) Use of sprinklers or drip irrigation systems
(xi) Use of advanced machinery
(xii) Use of vector quantity
• Since the advent of the Green revolution in the early 1970s, the country has
avoided famine even during adverse weather conditions. India has become
self-sufficient in food grains during the last thirty years because of a variety of
crops grown all over the country.

2. Creation of Buffer Stock

• Buffer Stock is the stock of food grains procured by the government through
Food Corporation of India (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. This price is called
Minimum Support Price. The MSP is declared by the government every year
before the sowing season to provide incentives to the farmers for raising the
production of these crops.
• The purchased food grains are stored in granaries.
• This is done to distribute food grains in the deficit areas and among the poorer
strata of 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 the periods of calamity.
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

3. Public Distribution System

• 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 (PDS).
• Ration shops are now present in most localities, villages, towns and cities.
There are about 5 lakh ration shops all over the country.
• Ration shops also known as Fair Price Shops. They keep stock of food grains,
sugar, kerosene oil 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 every
month from the nearby ration shop.

4. Mid-Day Meal Scheme

• With a view to enhancing enrolment, retention and attendance and

simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children, the National
Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was
launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15th August 1995, initially in
2408 blocks in the country.
• By the year 1997-98 the NP-NSPE was introduced in all blocks of the country.
• It was further extended in 2002 to cover not only children in classes I-V of
Government, Government aided and local body schools, but also children
studying in EGS and AIE centres. Central Assistance under the scheme
consisted of free supply of food grains at 100 grams per child per school day,
and subsidy for transportation of food grains up to a maximum of Rs 50 per
quintal.
• In September 2004 the scheme was revised to provide cooked mid-day meal
with 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein to all children studying in classes
I – V in Government and aided schools and EGS/ AIE centres.
• In October 2007, the scheme has been further revised to cover children in
upper primary (classes VI to VIII) initially in 3479 Educationally Backwards
Blocks (EBBs). Around 1.7 crore upper primary children were included by this
expansion of the scheme.
• From 2008-09 i.e. w.e.f. 1st April 2008, the programme covers all children
studying in Government, Local Body and Government-aided primary and
upper primary schools and the EGS/AIE centres including Madarsa and
Maqtabs supported under SSA of all areas across the country. The calorific
value of a mid-day meal at upper primary stage has been fixed at a minimum
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

of 700 calories and 20 grams of protein by providing 150 grams of food grains
(rice/wheat) per child/school day.
• From the year 2009 onwards Food norms have been revised to ensure
balanced and nutritious diet to children of upper primary group by increasing
the quantity of pulses from 25 to 30 grams, vegetables from 65 to 75 grams
and by decreasing the quantity of oil and fat from 10 grams to 7.5 grams.

5. National Food Security Act 2013

• The enactment of the National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 on July 5, 2013
marks a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to rights-
based approach.
• The Act legally entitles up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban
population to receive subsidized food grains under Targeted Public
Distribution System.
• About two thirds of the population therefore is covered under the Act to
receive highly subsidized food grains.
• As a step towards women empowerment, 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.
• One of the guiding principles of the Act is its 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, by entitling them to receive
nutritious meal free of cost through a widespread network of Integrated
Child Development Services (ICDS) centres, called Anganwadi Centres under
ICDS scheme and also through schools under Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme.
• Higher nutritional norms have been prescribed for malnourished children upto
6 years of age. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are further entitled to
receive cash maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000 to partly
compensate for the wage loss during the period of pregnancy and also to
supplement nutrition.

6. National Food Security Mission 2007

• The National Development Council (NDC) in its 53rd meeting held on 29th May,
2007 adopted a resolution to launch a Food Security Mission comprising rice,
wheat and pulses to increase the annual production of rice by 10 million
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

tonnes, wheat by 8 million tonnes and pulses by 2 million tonnes by the end of
the Eleventh Plan (2011-12).
• Accordingly, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, 'National Food Security Mission'
(NFSM), was launched in October 2007.
• The Mission met with an overwhelming success and achieved the targeted
additional production of rice, wheat and pulses.
• The Mission continued during 12th Five Year Plan with new targets of
additional production of food grains of 25 million tonnes of food grains
comprising of 10 million tonnes rice, 8 million tonnes of wheat, 4 million
tonnes of pulses and 3 million tonnes of coarse cereals by the end of 12th Five
Year Plan.
• Based on past experience and performance of 12th Plan, it has been decided
to continue the programme beyond 12th plan i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20, which
is co-terminus with Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) period with new
targets to achieve 13 million tonnes of additional food grains production
comprising of Rice – 5 million tonnes, Wheat- 3 million tonnes, Pulses- 3 million
tonnes and Coarse Cereals- 2 million tonnes by 2019-20

7. Government e-Market Place

Government e-Market Place is dynamic, self-sustaining and user-friendly portal for

making procurement by Government officers. Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology) has developed GeM portal for procurement of both Products & Services.
The portal was launched on 9th August 2016 by the Commerce & Industry Minister.
GeM is a completely paperless, cashless and system driven e-market place that
enables procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human
interface.
GEM Facilities
• Listing of products for individual, prescribed categories of Goods/ Services of
common use
• Look, estimate, compare and buying facility on dynamic pricing basis.
• Market place buying of majority of common User Items.
• Buying Goods and Services online, as and when required.
• Single window system for aggregating demands and ordering
• Transparency and ease of buying
• Useful for low value buying and also for bulk buying at competitive price using
Reverse Auction/ e-bidding.
• Continuous vendor rating system.
• User friendly dashboard for buying and monitoring supplies and payments.
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

8. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) was introduced on 14th January 2016,
in a move aimed at reducing agricultural distress and farmer’s welfare without having
to affect hefty hikes in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of agricultural products
prices due to Monsoon fluctuations induced risks The PMFBY Scheme operates on the
basis of ‘Area Approach’ i.e., Defined Areas for each notified crop for widespread
calamities.
Key Features

• Providing financial support to farmers suffering crop loss/damage due to

unforeseen events
• Stabilizing the income of farmers
• Encouraging farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices
• Ensuring flow of credit to the agriculture sector
• Three level of indemnity 70, 80 and 90
• Sum Insured equivalent to scale of finance
• The scheme envisages many new things such as utilizing innovative
technologies like satellite imagery, vegetation indices, etc. coupled with the
mandatory usage of smartphones/handheld devices for increasing the speed
and accuracy during yield estimation.
• Digitization of CCEs including geo-tagging, date-time stamping and
photographs
• Single series data for production estimates and insurance
• Access to Insurance Company for co-observance of CCEs
• Written information to IC about CCE schedule by State Govt.
• Usage of RST, Drone and Mobile technology to aid CCEs and yield assessment

Maximum Premium payable by

Season Crops
farmer (% of Sum Insured)

All food grain and Oilseeds crops

2.0% of SI or Actuarial rate, whichever is
Kharif (all Cereals, Millets, Pulses
less
and Oilseeds crops)

All food grain and Oilseeds crops

1.5% of SI or Actuarial rate, whichever is
Rabi (all Cereals, Millets, Pulses
less
and oilseeds)
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

Annual Commercial/ 5% of SI or Actuarial rate, whichever is

less
Kharif and Annual Horticultural crops
Rabi Perennial horticultural crops 5% of SI or Actuarial rate, whichever is
(pilot basis) less

Crop Coverage:
The crops that are covered under the PMFBY scheme are mentioned as below.
(a) Food crops (Cereals, Millets and Pulses)
(b) Oilseeds
(c) Annual Commercial / Annual Horticultural crops.

Risk Coverage under PMFBY scheme:

a) Prevented Sowing/ Planting Risk: When the Insured area is prevented from sowing/
planting due to deficit rainfall or adverse seasonal conditions, claims up to 25% of sum insured
are payable to the farmers.

b) Standing Crop (Sowing to Harvesting): Comprehensive risk insurance is provided to cover

yield losses due to non- preventable risks (Drought, Dry spells, Flood, Inundation, Pests and
Diseases, Landslides, Natural Fire and Lightening, Storm, Hailstorm, Cyclone, Typhoon,
Tempest, Hurricane and Tornado).

c) Post-Harvest Losses: Coverage is available only up to a maximum period of two weeks from
harvesting for those crops which are allowed to dry in cut and spread, small bundled condition
in the field after harvesting against specific perils of cyclone and cyclonic rains and unseasonal
rains.

d) Localized Calamities: Loss/ damage resulting from occurrence of identified localized risks
of hailstorm, landslide, Cloud burst, natural fire due to lightening and Inundation affecting
isolated farms in the notified area.

9. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana

Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

• RKVY scheme was initiated in 2007 as an umbrella scheme for ensuring holistic
development of agriculture and allied sectors by allowing states to choose
their own agriculture and allied sector development activities as per the
district/state agriculture plan. The scheme has come a long way since its
inception and has been implemented across two plan periods (11th and 12th).
• Till 2013-14, the scheme was implemented as an Additional Central Assistance
(ACA) to State Plan Scheme with 100% central assistance. It was converted into
a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in 2014-15 also with 100% central assistance.
Since 2015-16, the funding pattern of the scheme has been altered in the ratio
of 60:40 between Centre and States (90:10 for North Eastern States and
Himalayan States). For Union Territories the funding pattern is 100 % central
grant.
• RKVY scheme incentivizes States to increase public investment in Agriculture
& allied sectors. Under RKVY, States have been provided flexibility and
autonomy for selection, planning approval and execution of
projects/programs under the scheme asper their need, priorities and agro-
climate requirements.
• The Cabinet has approved (as on 1st November 2017) for continuation of the
ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme (State Plans) - Rashtriya Krishi Vikas
Yojana (RKVY) as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana- Remunerative Approaches for
Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for three years i.e.
2017-18 to 2019-20 with a financial allocation of Rs. 15,722 crores with broad
objectives of making farming a remunerative economic activity through
strengthening the farmer’s effort, risk mitigation and promoting agri-business
entrepreneurship. Under RKVY-RAFTAAR, major focus is on pre & post-harvest
infrastructure, besides promoting Agri-entrepreneurship and innovations.
• Funds under RKVY-RAFTAAR would be provided to the States as grant by the
Central Government in the following streams.

A. Regular RKVY-RAFTAAR - 70% of annual outlay will be allocated among

States as per criteria under following heads.
a. Infrastructure and assets - 50% (of 70%) of regular RKVY-
RAFTAAR outlay- pre-harvest infrastructure- 20%, post-harvest
infrastructure- 30%

b. Value addition linked production projects (agribusiness models) that

provide assured/ additional income to farmers including Public Private
Partnership for Integrated Agriculture Development (PPPIAD)
projects- 30% (of 70%) of regular RKVY outlay.

c. Flexi funds- 20% (of 70%) of regular RKVY-RAFTAAR outlay. States

can use this fund for supporting any projects as per their local needs
preferably for innovative activities in agriculture and allied sectors.
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

B. RKVY-RAFTAAR special sub-schemes – 20% of total annual outlay - based

on national priorities as notified by Govt. of India from time to time for
development of region and problem specific areas.

C. Innovation and agri-entrepreneur development - 10% of annual outlay-for

encouraging innovation and agri-entrepreneurs through skill development and
financial support. It will support incubatees, incubation centers, KVKs, awards
etc. These funds will be with Central Govt. (DAC&FW) including 2% of
administrative costs at the Centre. In case the funds not utilized, it will be
diverted to regular RKVY & sub-schemes.

10.Annapurna Yojana

• Annapurna Yojna is a centrally sponsored scheme which has been executed

since 1st April 2001 in this state.
• This scheme has been amalgamated into the State Plan since year 2002-03.
Under this scheme old destitutes who are not getting the National old age
pension (NOAPS) but have its eligibility, are being provided 10 kg food-grain (6
kg wheat + 4 kg rice) per month free of cost as Food Security.

11. Antyodaya Yojana

• Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY) with an aim to uplift the urban poor folks
by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development.
• Keeping in view the objective of Make in India, Skill Development is essential
for socio economic betterment.
• Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana was launched under the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA).
• Government of India had provisioned Rs.500 crore for the scheme.
• The scheme is integration of the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM)
and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
• National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) is renamed as Deen Dayal
Antyodaya Yojana-(DAY-NULM) and in Hindi as - Rashtriya Shahri Aajeevika
Mission.
• Under the scheme urban areas extends the coverage to all the 4041 statutory
cities and towns, there by covering almost the entire urban population.
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

Currently, all the urban poverty alleviating programmes covered only 790
towns and cities.

Mission of DAY-NULM

• To reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households by enabling

them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment
opportunities, resulting in an appreciable improvement in their livelihoods on
a sustainable basis, through building strong grassroots level.
• The mission would also aim to providing the shelter equipped with essential
services to the urban homeless in a phased manner.
• The scheme also address the livelihood concern of the urban street vendors by
facilitating with suitable space, institutional credit, and social security and skills
to the urban street vendor for accessing emerging market opportunities.

COMPONENT OF DAY-NULM
The scheme has two component one for urban India and other for rural India.
• The Urban component named as Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana will be
implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.
• The rural component named as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya
Yojana will be implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.

12. Sustainable Development Goals

• In 2015, all WHO members including India adopted the United Nations’ 17
Sustainable Development Goals, which include achieving zero hunger--or zero
undernourished population--by 2030.
• The Sustainable Development Goal to “End hunger, achieve food security and
improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture” (SDG2) recognizes
the inter linkages among supporting sustainable agriculture, empowering
small farmers, promoting gender equality, ending rural poverty, ensuring
healthy lifestyles, tackling climate change, and other issues addressed within
the set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the Post-2015 Development
Agenda.
• World leaders at the 2012 Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
reaffirmed the right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food,
consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of
everyone to be free from hunger. The UN Secretary-General’s Zero Hunger
Challenge launched at Rio+20 called on governments, civil society, faith
Food Security in India Free e-book for NABARD Exams

communities, the private sector, and research institutions to unite to end

hunger and eliminate the worst forms of malnutrition.
• The Zero Hunger Challenge has since garnered widespread support from many
member States and other entities. It calls for:
Zero stunted children under the age of two
100% access to adequate food all year round
All food systems are sustainable
100% increase in smallholder productivity and income
Zero loss or waste of food
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