Question

how is PDS related to food security of the people in the country

Answer 1

Indian food security system, established by the Government of India under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is to distribute subsidized food and non-food items to India's poor. This scheme was first launched in February 1944, during the Second World War and was launched in the current form in June 1947. Major commodities distributed include staple food grains, such as wheat, rice, sugar and kerosene, through a network of fair price shops (also known as ration shops) established in several states across the country. Food Corporation of India, a Government-owned corporation, procures and maintains the PDS.

In coverage and public expenditure, it is considered to be the most important food security network. However, the food grains supplied by the ration shops are not enough to meet the consumption needs of the poor or are of inferior quality. The average level of consumption of PDS seeds in India is only 1 kg per person / month. The PDS has been criticised for its urban bias and its failure to serve the poorer sections of the population effectively. The targeted PDS is costly and gives rise to much corruption in the process of extricating the poor from those who are less needy. Today, India has the largest stock of grain in the world besides China, the government spends Rs. 750 billion ($13.6 billion) per year, almost 1 percent of GDP, yet 21% remain undernourished.[1] Distribution of food grains to poor people throughout the country is managed by state governments.[2]As of date there are about 500,000 Fair Price Shops (FPS) across India.[3]

Answer 2

The PDS (Public Distribution System) of India was established back in 1944 at the time of WWII directly under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The main aim of the PDS is to distribute important commodities like wheat, rice, kerosene and sugar for the needed and poor across the country in an affordable prize.  

It ensures the availability of certain commodities especially for poor people of the country. However the Indian Government had re-launched the system as Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in order to minimize the loopholes which benefited the economically higher class people of the country. The TPDS works along with the procedures of FCI (Food Corporation of India) in order to deliver quality commodities to the poor and to eradicate poverty in national level.