India ensures cereal security through PDS, but nutritional security—especially pulses—remains a challenge. Poverty, high costs, and leakages limit access. This note explains reforms, poverty linkages, and global lessons with UPSC Prelims and Mains relevance.

Equalising Primary Food Consumption in India

Introduction

Food security in India has often been associated with availability and affordability of cereals such as rice and wheat through the Public Distribution System (PDS). However, nutritional security, especially protein intake from pulses, remains inadequate. Despite being the largest producer and consumer of pulses, India continues to witness a nutritional gap caused by poverty, high prices of pulses, and inefficiencies in PDS targeting.

Ensuring equalisation of primary food consumption requires reforms in PDS, poverty alleviation, better storage & distribution infrastructure, and global best practices integration.

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Poverty and Food Consumption

1. Indian Context

   • Poverty directly influences dietary diversity.

   • Poor households often substitute pulses with cereals due to affordability.

   • NFHS-5 (2019–21) shows:

     • 35.5% of children under 5 are stunted.

     • 32% are underweight.

     • 57% of women (15–49 yrs) are anaemic.

   • These are direct outcomes of poor protein and micronutrient intake.

2. Global Context

   • Multidimensional Poverty Index (MDPI) 2023: 16.4% of Indians live in multidimensional poverty (health, education, living standards).

   • Global Hunger Index 2024: India ranks 111 out of 125 countries, reflecting poor nutrition despite adequate cereal availability.

   • Contrast: Developed nations face obesity and over-nutrition, while developing nations struggle with under-nutrition.

Public Distribution System (PDS)

1. Strengths of PDS in India

• Provides food security cover to ~800 million beneficiaries (NFSA, 2013).

• Prevented famines and large-scale starvation.

• Stabilises food prices by large-scale procurement.

• Acts as a social safety net during crises (COVID-19, inflationary shocks).

2. Depreciation in India

• Leakages: Around 30–40% diversion of grains (Planning Commission estimates).

• Overemphasis on cereals: Rice & wheat dominate → neglect of pulses, oils, millets.

• Storage losses: 5–10% of food grains lost in FCI warehouses annually.

• Fiscal burden: Food subsidy bill touched ₹2.2 lakh crore (2024–25).

• Inclusion & exclusion errors: Well-off households often benefit, while some poor households are left out.

3. Global Food System Depreciation

• FAO Report (2023): Around 13–14% of food produced globally is lost between harvest and retail.

• In developing countries: Losses occur due to poor logistics, storage, cold chains.

• In developed nations: Wastage happens at consumer/retail level.

• Lesson for India → focus on supply chain strengthening rather than just procurement.

 Comparative Insights – Food Consumption & Wastage

1. Per Capita Pulse Consumption

   • India: ~30–35g/day

   • Global Recommendation: 50g/day

   • Developed Nations: >60g/day (e.g., US, Canada)

2. Food Lost Post-Harvest

   • India: 5–10% (FCI estimates)

   • Global Average: 13–14% (FAO)

   • Developed Nations: 3–5%

3. Public Distribution System (PDS) Coverage

   • India: ~67% of population (under NFSA, 2013)

   • Global: Not universal

   • Developed Nations: Mostly targeted welfare schemes

4. Subsidy Share in GDP

   • India: ~1% of GDP

   • Developing Countries: 0.5–1%

   • Developed Nations: Minimal (high income reduces need for subsidies)

5. Global Hunger Index (2024)

   • India: Rank 111/125

   • Middle Ranking Countries: 50–70

   • Developed Nations: Top 20

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Institutional References for UPSC

• National Food Security Act (2013) → Provides legal right to food for 67% of population.

• Food Corporation of India (FCI) → Handles procurement, storage, and distribution of food grains.

• NITI Aayog → Designs PDS reforms, experiments with DBT models.

• National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) → Conducts household consumption surveys (key for poverty & nutrition data).

• UNDP (MDPI) → Publishes Multidimensional Poverty Index.

• World Bank (Poverty & Equity Briefs) → Tracks India’s poverty and inequality trends.

• Welthungerhilfe → Publishes the Global Hunger Index (GHI).

Policy Suggestions

1. Reform PDS

   • Expand to cover pulses, millets, and edible oils.

   • Introduce smart ration cards with biometric verification to reduce leakages.

   • Shift to Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) in urban areas.

2. Nutritional Security

   • Integrate Mid-Day Meals, ICDS & PDS to create a unified nutrition mission.

   • Promote fortified pulses & cereals through ICAR research.

3. Strengthen Supply Chains

   • Invest in cold storage, silos, warehouses to reduce depreciation losses.

   • Encourage private sector participation in logistics.

4. Boost Pulse Production

   • Increase MSP support for pulses.

   • Incentivise crop diversification → reduce over-dependence on rice/wheat.

   • Promote micro-irrigation in pulse-growing areas.

Impact

• Positive

  • Ensures protein sufficiency and dietary diversity.

  • Achieves synergy with SDG-2 (Zero Hunger), SDG-3 (Good Health), SDG-12 (Responsible Consumption).

  • Long-term improvement in human capital and productivity.

• Challenges

  • Fiscal stress on government due to subsidies.

  • Political resistance to subsidy rationalisation.

  • Weak storage & transport infrastructure → food depreciation continues.

 

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