Question

Exercises 1. How is food security ensured in India?​

Answer 1

Food security is ensured in India on the basis of the two components:

Buffer Stock and Public Distribution System (PDS)

Buffer Stock:

It is the stock of food grains like wheat and rice procured by the government through Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Answer 2

Answer:

Food security is ensured in a country when the three dimensions of food security are taken care of.

The three dimensions are:

• Availability of food − Presence of enough food for all the persons

• Accessibility of food − Absence of barrier on access to food
• Affordability of food − Capability of all persons to buy food of acceptable quality

Food security has been ensured in India because of the following factors.

1. Self-sufficiency of food grains − India has become self-sufficient in food grains (as was its aim since Independence) during the last thirty years. This has been because of a variety of crops grown all over the country.
2. Food-security system − The availability of food grains has been ensured by the government with the help of a carefully designed food-security system. This system involves the maintenance of a buffer stock of food grains, and the distribution of this food among the poorer sections of the society with the help of a public distribution system.
3. Implementation of several poverty-alleviation programmes having an explicit food security component − Apart from the distribution of food through fair-price shops, the government has come up with several poverty-alleviation programmes that enhance food security; for example, mid-day meals and food-for-work.