The Government of India (GoI) has introduced a new Integrated Food Security Scheme beginning January 1, 2023, to supply free food grains to more than 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
- According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution (MoCA, F&PD), the scheme will also ensure effective and uniform enforcement of the NFSA.
The decision was made by the Union Cabinet, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Backdrop
i.The Union Cabinet resolved to introduce a new Central Sector Scheme (CSS) to support the most vulnerable 67% of the population, i.e., the 81.35 crore people covered under the NFSA.
- This will fulfill the vision of One Nation – One Price – One Ration.
ii.The GoI has a social and legal obligation to provide a dignified life for the people of the country by assuring them access to food and nutritional security through the provision of an adequate supply of quality food grains.
New Integrated Food Security Scheme
i.The new integrated scheme will subsume two present food subsidy schemes run by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), MoCA and F&PD. They are:
- Food Subsidy to Food Corporation of India (FCI) for NFSA
- Food Subsidy for Decentralized Procurement States, which deals with procuring, allocating, and delivering free food grains to the states under the NFSA
ii.The scheme will reinforce the provisions of the NFSA (2013) in terms of accessibility, affordability, and availability of foodgrain for the poor and vulnerable segments of society.
Implementation of the Scheme
i.Under the scheme, the GoI will distribute free foodgrains to all NFSA beneficiaries, including Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Household (PHH) people, for 2023 through a network of 5.33 lakh Fair Price Shops (FPS) across India.
- Fair Price Shops (FPS), also known as “Ration Shops” in rural and urban areas, are stores that provide substantial subsidies on essential food commodities.
ii.Free foodgrains will ensure uniform implementation of portability under ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ (ONORC) across India, thereby strengthening this choice-based platform.
- The GoI will incur a food subsidy of more than Rs. 2 lakh crore in 2023.
- The new scheme aims to improve food security under the NFSA at the beneficiary level by bringing uniformity and transparency.
India’s G20 Presidency & Food Security at the G20
i.India holds the Presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
ii.The theme for India’s G20 Presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” which refers to “One Earth, One Family, One Future. It is taken from the Maha Upanishad, an ancient Sanskrit text.
iii.The G20 Presidency for India also signifies the onset of “Amritkaal,” the 25-year period starting on August 15, 2022, the 75th anniversary of its independence, leading up to the 100th anniversary of its independence.
iv.India is looking forward to combating hunger and the food crises during its G20 presidency.
- It emphasises climate-smart agriculture, developing inclusive value chains and food systems, digital transformation in agriculture, and global food security and nutrition.
v.The first meeting of the Development Working Group (DWG) under India’s G20 presidency was held in December 2022 at Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- The DWG meeting focused on India’s key priorities, including increasing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), and data for development.
Note: The “Matera Declaration,” adopted by the G20 Foreign Ministers in Italy in June 2021, urged the international community to step up efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on people’s lives and livelihoods.
Priorities of India as G20 President in the Areas of Agriculture & Food Security
i.By 2030, more than 840 million people are expected to be affected by hunger.
- Eradication of hunger by 2030 is one of the objectives of SDG.
ii.Over 81 crore 35 lakh individuals have received 5 kg of foodgrains every month, and India has shipped over 1.21 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains as humanitarian food assistance to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Madagascar, Mozambique, the Comoros, and Timor-Leste.
- More than 11 crore 18 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains were allocated to all 36 States/Union Territories (UTs) under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
iii.India is also supporting organic farming and the revival of nutritious, traditional grains.
- In response to India’s effort, the United Nations (UN) passed a resolution designating 2023 as the International Year of Millet with the support of more than 70 countries from around the world.
Recent Related News:
i.In November 2022, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi revealed the logo, theme, and website for India’s G20 presidency.
ii.The G20 logo features a lotus, the national flower of India, painted in the tricolour (saffron, white, & green) and blue, together with an image of the Earth. The word “Bharat” is written in Devanagari script under the G20 logo.
About the Group of Twenty (G20):
The G20 is the leading forum for economic cooperation on a global scale.
G20 Members: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US) and the European Union (EU).
