Q. 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?

Model Answer:

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 marked a paradigm shift in India, transitioning from a welfare-based to a rights-based approach to ensure food security (SDG 2).

1. Salient Features of NFSA, 2013

1. Targeted Coverage: Legally covers up to 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population (benefitting ~81 crore citizens).
2. Subsidized Entitlements: Provides 5 kg of foodgrains per person/month at ₹3/2/1 for rice/wheat/coarse grains (currently provided free under PM-GKAY).
3. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): The poorest of the poor households receive a fixed 35 kg of foodgrains per month.
4. Women Empowerment: The eldest woman (18+ years) is legally designated as the household head for issuing ration cards.
5. Lifecycle Nutritional Support: Mandates free hot cooked meals for children (6 months to 14 years) through Anganwadis and the Mid-Day Meal scheme.
6. Maternity Benefits: Guaranteed nutritional support and a cash entitlement of ₹6,000 for pregnant and lactating mothers.
7. Statutory Grievance Redressal: Establishes District Grievance Redressal Officers and State Food Commissions for accountability.

2. Impact on Eliminating Hunger and Malnutrition

A. Key Achievements:

• Caloric Security: Mitigated mass starvation and served as a critical safety net during the COVID-19 pandemic (PM-GKAY).
• Poverty Alleviation: PDS food transfers have been instrumental in keeping India’s extreme poverty rate below 1% (IMF Working Paper).
• Constitutional Mandate: Institutionalized the right to food, advancing public health objectives (Article 47).

B. Continuing Limitations:

• Hidden Hunger: The scheme’s overwhelming cereal bias (wheat/rice) neglects proteins and micronutrients, limiting holistic malnutrition eradication.
• Poor Nutritional Outcomes: Reflected in India’s low Global Hunger Index ranking (111/125 in 2023) and high stunting (35.5%) and wasting (18.7%) rates (NFHS-5).
• Systemic Leakages: Persistent inclusion/exclusion errors and ghost beneficiaries limit targeted impact (Shanta Kumar Committee).

To achieve genuine Zero Hunger, India must transition from mere “calorie security” to holistic “nutritional security” by integrating biofortified crops, promoting millets (Shree Anna), and adopting technology-driven smart PDS reforms.