How far is the PDS of India successful in attaining food security in the country?

How far is the PDS of India successful in attaining food security in the country?

Through its implementation, the PDS achieved 75% coverage of the rural population, and around half of the urban population, monetary and nutritional support was mandated to pregnant and lactating women, and through the Integrated Child Development Services and Mid-Day Meal Schemes, children aged 6 months to 14 years …

What are the advantages of PDS in India?

Merits or Advantages of Public Distribution System are: It provides food security to poor people of India. It helps in alleviating the poverty level of India. It ensures that no person dies because of hunger. It helps in stabilizing food prices.

How many PDS are there in India?

With a network of more than 400,000 Fair Price Shops (FPS), the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India is perhaps the largest distribution machinery of its type in the world.

How has PDS been a source of economic support in India?

By the 1970s, PDS had evolved into a universal scheme for the distribution of subsidised food. In the 1990s, the scheme was revamped to improve access of food grains to people in hilly and inaccessible areas, and to target the poor.

Who started Indian PDS?

In June, 1997, the Government of India launched the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) with focus on the poor.

How can we improve PDS?

  1. PDS is a safety net: Accessing it should be costless and effortless.
  2. Safety nets should deliver on food access, not aim to deliver food.
  3. Inspections and grievance redressal need to be more than spiritual construct.
  4. Reduce the power of PDS dealers due to asymmetric information.

What are the disadvantages of PDS?

Limited benefits to the poor : Under the PDS, food grains are provided to the Nation Card holders only.

  • Regional disparities : Large number of the BPL families in the less developed states do not avail the benefits of the PDS.
  • Urban bias : The transport system in the villages is not efficient.
  • What are the challenges of PDS?

    PDS faces challenges like leakages and diversion of food-grains, inclusion/exclusion errors; fake and bogus ration cards; lack of transparency; weak grievance redressal and social audit mechanisms, viability of Fair Price Shops, etc.

    Why is PDS important?

    Importance of PDS It has helped in stabilising food prices and making food available to the poor at affordable prices. It maintains the buffer stock of food grains in the warehouse so that the flow of food remain active even during the period of less agricultural food production.

    How does PDS improve food security?

    The Public Distribution System (PDS) of India plays a crucial role in reducing food insecurity by acting as a safety net by distributing essentials at a subsidised rate.

    How far is food security in India?

    Though the available nutritional standard is 100% of the requirement, India lags far behind in terms of quality protein intake at 20% which needs to be tackled by making available protein-rich food products such as soybeans, lentils, meat, eggs, dairy, etc.

    What are the problems of PDS in India?