Food Security in India

After Reading This Article You Can Solve This UPSC Mains PYQ:

What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India? 250 Words (GS-3, Economy)

Introduction

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

• Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2025-26: India ranks 105th out of 127 countries, with a score of 27.3 (Serious category).
• Economic Transition: India has moved from being a food-aid recipient (PL-480 era) to the world’s largest rice exporter (20.2 million tonnes in FY25).

The FAO defines food security through four pillars:

1. Availability: The “supply side” of food security. It refers to the physical existence of food in a country or area through:

1. Domestic agricultural production.
2. Commercial imports.
3. Food aid and national buffer stocks (e.g., FCI godowns in India).

2. Accessibility: The ability of individuals to actually reach and acquire food. It is not enough for food to be in the market; people must have:

1. Economic Access: Adequate income or purchasing power to buy food.
2. Physical Access: Adequate infrastructure (roads, PDS shops) to reach the food.

3. Affordability / Utilization: Often termed “utilization,” this focuses on the nutritional quality and the body’s ability to use it.

1. Nutritional Value: Access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare to ensure the body absorbs nutrients.
2. Food Safety: Proper food preparation and dietary diversity to prevent “hidden hunger.”

4. Stability: The consistency of the other three pillars over time. Food security must not be threatened by:

1. Seasonal shocks (e.g., crop failure or lean seasons).
2. Economic shocks (e.g., sudden price hikes or unemployment).
3. Political/Climatic shocks (e.g., wars, floods, or droughts).

Why India Needs Food Security?

1. High Malnutrition & “Hidden Hunger”

• Despite being a food-surplus nation, India faces a “Nutrition Paradox.”
• Stunting & Wasting: NFHS-5 data shows ~35% of children are stunted.
• Anemia: Over 50% of women and children suffer from iron deficiency. Food security ensures access to fortified foods to combat these micronutrient gaps.

2. Demographic Pressure

• With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, India must ensure a consistent supply chain. Any disruption in food availability can lead to massive social unrest and inflation, as seen during global supply chain shocks in 2024-25.

3. Climate Vulnerability

• Indian agriculture is a “gamble on the monsoons.”
• Extreme Weather: Heatwaves and unseasonal rains threaten crop yields.
• Resilience: Food security systems (like buffer stocks) act as a shock absorber against climate-induced crop failures.

4. Economic Stability (Inflation Control)

• Food occupies a large weight in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Food price volatility directly impacts the disposable income of the poor.
• Securing the food supply prevents “Agflation” (Agricultural Inflation), which can destabilize the national economy.

5. Poverty-Hunger Trap

• Food security is a prerequisite for Human Capital Development. A hungry child cannot learn (impacts Education/SDG 4).
• A malnourished worker is less productive (impacts GDP/SDG 8).

6. Ethical & Constitutional Obligation

• Article 21: The Supreme Court has interpreted the “Right to Life” to include the Right to Food.
• SDG 2: India is committed to the Global Goal of “Zero Hunger” by 2030.

Government Initiatives

Pillar 1: Farm-Level Resilience & Storage

• PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY): Launched in Oct 2025, this 6-year scheme targets 100 low-productivity districts to enhance yield through sustainable practices and crop diversification.
• World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Co-operative Sector: Utilizing Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to create decentralized storage, reducing post-harvest losses and preventing distress sales by farmers.
• Digital Agriculture Mission: Creating a “Digital Public Infrastructure” for farmers, including the AgriStack (identity/land records) to ensure subsidies like PM-KISAN reach the right hands without leakages.

Pillar 2: Nutritional Security (Hidden Hunger)

• Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: Focuses on maternal and child nutrition.
  • Rice Fortification: Mandatory supply of fortified rice (enriched with Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12) through PDS, Mid-Day Meals (PM-POSHAN), and ICDS.
  • Saksham Anganwadis: Upgrading 2 lakh centres with better infrastructure (audio-visual aids, clean water) to improve early childhood nutrition.
• National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM): Renamed from NFSM in 2025-26, adding a dedicated sub-mission for Nutri-Cereals (Shree Anna/Millets).

Pillar 3: Price & Stock Management

• Wheat Stock Limits (2025-26): Imposed on traders, wholesalers, and big chain retailers to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation during the 2026 harvest season.
• Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses & Oilseeds: Reducing import dependency to stabilize domestic prices of essential proteins and fats.

Pillar 4: Targeted Distribution & Subsidies

• PM-Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Integrated with the National Food Security Act (NFSA), it provides free foodgrains to 81.35 crore beneficiaries. In late 2025, it was extended for five years (until December 2028), with an outlay of ₹11.80 lakh crore.
• One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC): Fully functional nationwide, allowing migrants to access their entitlements from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) using biometric authentication.
• Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS): Used aggressively in early 2026 to offload wheat and rice stocks to curb retail inflation.

Global Initiatives

• India-UAE Food Corridor: Streamline supply chains and use India as a “food bowl” for West Asia while ensuring domestic price stability.
• WFP Partnership: India supplies fortified rice to global hunger hotspots, positioning itself as a “Solution Provider” rather than just a recipient.
• International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (2026): The UN has designated 2026 to highlight the role of sustainable livestock and rangelands in global food security, particularly for indigenous communities and arid regions.
• G20 Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty (2025–2026): Launched during Brazil’s G20 Presidency. Aims to reach 500 million people with cash transfers and empower 100 million smallholder farmers by 2030.

Committees on Food Security in India

• Shanta Kumar Committee (2015): Recommended restructuring FCI to improve efficiency.
  • Suggested reducing NFSA coverage from 67% to 40%.
  • Advocated for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in PDS.
• Ashok Dalwai Committee: Focused on Doubling Farmers’ Income; emphasized that food security is impossible without “income security” for producers.
• NITI Aayog Task Force (2025): Proposed the “Nutrition Basket” approach—moving PDS beyond just wheat/rice to include millets, pulses, and oilseeds.

Challenges to Food Security in India

1. Structural & Supply Chain Issues

• Leakages in PDS: Despite massive digitalization, estimates in early 2026 suggest a ~20-28% leakage in the Public Distribution System (PDS).
• Infrastructure Deficit: India lacks adequate cold chain storage, leading to a loss of approximately 40% of fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) post-harvest.
• Fragmented Landholdings: Over 86% of Indian farmers are “small and marginal,” making it difficult to achieve economies of scale and adopt modern, yield-boosting technologies.

2. The “Hidden Hunger” Challenge

• Monoculture Focus: The MSP-driven system incentivizes wheat and rice, discouraging the production of nutrient-dense pulses and millets.
• Micronutrient Deficiency: While people may have enough calories, they lack essential vitamins and minerals. NFHS-5 and subsequent 2025 updates highlight that over 50% of women and children remain anemic.
• Soil Health Decay: Over-reliance on chemical fertilizers (Urea) has led to Zinc and Boron deficiencies in the soil, which translates directly into nutrient-deficient crops.

3. Climate & Environmental Risks

• Extreme Weather Events: The “2024-25 Heatwaves” and erratic 2026 monsoons have demonstrated that climate change can wipe out 10–15% of wheat yields in a single season.
• Groundwater Depletion: Water-intensive crops like paddy in Punjab/Haryana are pushing water tables to “danger zones,” making future production unsustainable.
• Land Degradation: FAO’s 2025 reports indicate that nearly 30% of India’s land is undergoing degradation, threatening long-term food availability.

4. Economic & Global Pressures

• Inflationary Pressures: Global conflicts (e.g., in the Middle East or Eastern Europe) drive up fertilizer and fuel prices, directly increasing the “Economic Cost” of food for the government and consumers.
• The Subsidy Burden: The food subsidy bill (PMGKAY) now accounts for nearly 4-5% of the total budget, limiting the fiscal space for long-term agricultural investments like irrigation.

5. Socio-Demographic Barriers

• Exclusion Errors: The 2011 Census is still the basis for NFSA coverage in 2026; missing a fresh census means nearly 10 crore needy people remain outside the safety net.
• Gender Bias: Intra-household food distribution often favors men, leaving women and girls with lower nutritional intake even in food-secure households.

Way Forward

• From Calories to Nutrition: Shift PDS focus from a “Wheat-Rice” duopoly to a “Nutrition Basket” including pulses, oilseeds, and Shree Anna (Millets) to combat hidden hunger.
• Update Beneficiary Data: Fast-track the link between the e-Shram portal and NFSA to include nearly 10 crore citizens currently excluded due to the use of outdated 2011 Census data.
• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Fully implement the “AgriStack” to provide farmers with end-to-end services, from soil testing to direct market access via e-NAM.
• Reducing Post-Harvest Losses: Execute the “World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan” at the PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies) level to create decentralized, modern silos and cold chains.
• Precision Farming: Use AI-enabled monitoring and drone technology for targeted fertilizer application (Nano-Urea) to restore soil health and optimize input costs.
• Climate-Smart Agriculture: Invest in multi-stress tolerant crop varieties (heat and flood-resistant) as a primary defense against the erratic weather patterns observed in early 2026.
• Water Governance: Expand “Per Drop More Crop” initiatives, specifically targeting “water-guilt” crops like sugarcane and paddy in arid regions through micro-irrigation.

Conclusion

Food security in 2026 is no longer a question of “production” but of “management and nutrition.” By transitioning from a cereal-centric PDS to a diversified “Nutrition Basket,” and leveraging agritech, India can achieve SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030 while becoming a global reliable supplier.