RAMSUDHEER
“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient,
safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and
healthy life”, (World Food Summit, 1996)
FOOD SECURITY
Consumed food must have
a positive nutritional
impact on people.
Access to adequate food at all
times irrespective of climatic
changes or political events.
Food availability in
sufficient quantities
and on a consistent
basis.
Physical, economic and
ecological access to
food for all people.
In order to ensure food security of our country, a major step in this regard was taken by the Central
Government in 2013, through the introduction of the National Food Security Act, 2013
Availability Access
Stability
Utilization

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National Food Security Act, 2013
• It marks a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to rights based approach. It
includes:
1. Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
2. Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, launched in 1995 as a centrally sponsored scheme.
3. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, launched in 1975 as a centrally sponsored
scheme
• Under NFSA, 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population receive subsidized food
grains through TPDS. It ensures supply of subsidized food grains to the bottom 67% of the
population as per 2011 census.
• The act provides coverage to the people under the following two categories:
1. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) Households – with monthly entitlement of 35kg food grains per AAY
household per month.
2. Priority Households – with monthly entitlement of 5kg per person per month for eligible households
under ‘priority’ category
• Beneficiaries under the Act are entitled for subsidized food grains at 1/2/3 per kg for nutria-cereals/
wheat /rice, respectively.

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• The Act also provides to implement DBT of subsidy in the form of transferring cash directly into the
bank account of beneficiaries instead of giving them food grains, etc. at subsidized prices through
ration shops
• NFSA also seeks to provide food and nutritional security in human life cycle, through a widespread
network of ICDS centres and also through schools, under the MDM Scheme.
• A criticism of the National Food Security Act is that the beneficiaries are based on the 2011 census.
The number of people likely to be affected by food security has increased since then and may have
remained uncovered till date.
National Food Security Act, 2013

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SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2015-2030): ‘End hunger, achieve food security and improved
nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.’
• The 2nd
goal out of 17 goals of Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) established by the United Nations
(2015) aims to achieve ‘zero hunger’. SDG 2 highlights the complex inter-linkages between food
security, nutrition, rural transformation and sustainable agriculture.
• SDG 2 has 8 targets and 14 indicators to measure progress.
These targets are:
Target No. Targets
Outcome
targets
1 Universal access to safe and nutritious food
2 End all forms of malnutrition
3 Double the productivity and income of small-scale food producers
4 Sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices
5 Maintain the genetic diversity in food production
Means of
achieving
targets
6 Invest in rural infrastructure, agricultural research, technology and gene banks
7 Prevent agricultural trade restrictions, market distortions and export subsidies
8 Ensure stable food commodity markets and timely access to information

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The Central Government revised Buffer Norms in 2015 and changed its nomenclature to Food grain
Stocking Norms. Food grains here include Rice and Wheat only. The targets of the revised norms are the
following:
1. To meet the prescribed minimum stocking norms for food security.
2. To ensure monthly release of foodgrain (wheat& rice) for supply through the TPDS/other welfare
schemes.
3. To meet the emergency situations arising out of unexpected crop failure, natural disasters, etc.
4. To use and supply foodgrains for market intervention in order to moderate their open market prices.
To meet the above targets, the foodgrain stock which is to be kept in the central pool by FCI , is classified
into two categories:
1. Operational Stock or Buffer Stock (stock earmarked for TPDS + stock for other welfare schemes +
food security stock). Operational stock is fixed by the Central Government at the beginning of each
quarter.
2. Strategic Reserves (2 million tonnes of rice and 3 million tonnes of wheat). This 5 million tonnes of
strategic reserves has to be maintained by FCI at the beginning of every quarter.
In case, the stock of foodgrains is more than the revised figures of Operational stock + Strategic Reserves
in the beginning of the quarter, the excess stock is to be offloaded in the market through open sale or
through exports.
FOOD GRAIN STOCKING NORMS, 2015