Q. Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): Food security is necessary even in surplus food production years.
Reason (R): Starvation can still occur due to unequal distribution and lack of accessibility.
Select the correct answer from the code given below :
a) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
b) (A) is false, but (R) is true
c) (A) is true, but (R) is false
d) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Correct Answer: d) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question from UPPSC Prelims 2025
Explanation:
Assertion (A) is true: Food security is needed even in years of surplus production because food security is not only about availability; it also includes access, utilization, and stability. Surplus addresses availability but not whether people can physically or economically access food.
Reason (R) is true and correctly explains (A): Starvation can occur due to unequal distribution, poor purchasing power, market failures, transport/logistics gaps, and exclusion from safety nets—hence the need for food security measures (PDS, buffer stocks, targeted distribution) even in surplus years. This aligns with Amartya Sen’s entitlement approach, which shows famines and hunger can occur without a decline in aggregate food availability.
