Subject: Economy

India's journey towards food security reached a significant milestone with the enactment of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, transforming the "right to food" into a legal entitlement and marking a shift from a welfare to a rights-based approach.

Key Features of NFSA 2013

Coverage and Entitlements:

• Provides coverage to 75% of rural and 50% of urban population under targeted public distribution system.
• Ensures 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at subsidized rates (₹3/kg for rice, ₹2/kg for wheat).
• Special focus on pregnant women and lactating mothers through maternity benefits.

Institutional Framework:

• Establishes State Food Commissions for monitoring and implementation.
• Creates a grievance redressal mechanism at district level.
• Mandates transparency and accountability through social audits.

Women Empowerment:

• Recognizes eldest woman (18+ years) as head of household for ration card.
• Provides nutritional support to pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• Ensures supplementary nutrition through Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).

Impact on Hunger and Malnutrition

Positive Outcomes:

• Benefited more than two-thirds of India's population through subsidized foodgrains.
• Reduced child stunting and improved food security in rural areas.
• States like Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh showed exemplary implementation.

Implementation Challenges:

• Varying effectiveness across states due to differential implementation capacities.
• Issues with beneficiary identification and targeting.
• Leakages and corruption in public distribution system.
• Limited focus on nutritional quality of food distributed.

The NFSA 2013 has laid a strong foundation for India's food security architecture, but achieving complete elimination of hunger and malnutrition requires addressing implementation gaps and strengthening nutritional components. Success stories like "One Nation One Ration Card" and integration with Poshan Abhiyan showcase the potential for enhanced effectiveness through technological innovation and convergence approaches.