FOOD SECURITY : Model questions ( for Paper 3 : ECONOMY: AGRICULTURE &Allied Activities ):STUDY MATERIAL FOR TGPSC GROUP II : December, 2024

 Model questions ( for Paper 3 : ECONOMY: AGRICULTURE &Allied Activities )

based on

TELANGANA SOCIO-ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2024

STUDY MATERIAL FOR

TGPSC GROUP II : December, 2024

For Study purpose

FOOD SECURITY

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Questions based on 2024 Socio Economic Outlook of Telangana :-

The Telangana government ensures the provision of essential commodities at a

subsidised price through fair price shops as part of the Public Distribution System

(PDS).

Question: Which is the nodal department to oversee the implementation of PDS ?

Ans: The Civil Supplies Corporation Limited is the nodal department to oversee

the implementation of the PDS at the field level, market intervention and

control prices, and ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers through

decentralised paddy procurement operations.

Additionally, the department administers welfare schemes like the Mid-day Meal

Program, ICDS, and LPG under the Mahalakshmi scheme, as well as other initiatives

to ensure food security for vulnerable sections of society.

PDS:-

At present, 17,235 Fair Price (FP) Shops are functioning to implement the Public

Distribution System in the state, and on average, each FP shop serves 522

cards/families. There is one FP Shop for every 2030 persons in the state.

Question: How many ration cards are there in Telangana State ? How many

beneficiaries are there in Telangana State ?

1)The total number of ration cards in existence in the state as of 30th June 2024 is

89,97,055

2)Total beneficiaries: 2,81,70,609

This system ensures the monthly free distribution of fortified rice to 281.71

lakh beneficiaries through 89.97 lakh Food Security Cards at a scale of 6 Kg

of rice per head.

Under other welfare schemes such as the Mid-day Meal

Program, Welfare Institutions, Hostels, and ICDS, Sannabiyyam (fortified rice)

is being provided to 49 lakh students/inmates/benefi ciaries.

The government plans to modernise and reform the system through the SMARTPDS

initiative, which will span three years (from April 2023 to March 2026) and

use a 60:40 cost-sharing model between the central and state government. The

initiative aims to improve distribution efficiency and accessibility of essential

goods.

The government has implemented several IT initiatives, including a 100%

Aadhaar-seeded database, online allocation, ePoS distribution, IRIS

scanners, transparency portals, GPS tracking, toll-free numbers, and IVRS

for PDS and procurement services.

Additionally, the government focuses on consumer protection rights, addressing

grievances, and raising awareness about misleading advertisements, food

adulteration, and spurious drugs through various programmes

This extensive coverage ensures that no person dies of starvation or hunger. The

efficient implementation of these schemes highlights the government’s dedication to

food security and the wellbeing of its citizens

What are the types of cards in Telangana State (According to Socio Economic

Outlook of Telangana 2024) ? How many are there in each type/category in

Telangana State (2024)?

Ans :

1)Food Security Cards :84,28,642 Nos.

2)Antyodaya Food Security Cards:5,62,996 Nos.

3)Annpoorna Cards (AAP):54,197 Nos.

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FOOD SECURITY - GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX -

INDIA’S RANK IN GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX-SUPPLY OF FOOD GRAINS-

PDS - TPDS - BPL

Questions :-

1. What do you mean by Food Security?

2. Name the schemes of Food Security in India.

3. Explain the nature of food problem in India?

4. Explain the efforts taken by the Government to improve food security in India ?

5) Public Distribution System is one of its kind, the largest in the whole world, what

would you suggest for the strengthening of the system?

6)What is PDS ?

7)What is TPDS ?

8)What is Below Poverty Line ?

Question: What is the importance of food for human beings?

Ans:

The importance of food for human beings can never be overemphasized.

Without enough food, man cannot work.

His health would be affected.

His body immunity would decrease.

His life expectancy would reduce.

The maladies are so many.

It’s very sad to know that your fellow countryman is hungry, he goes to bed without

a square meal.

Food Security is the call of the hour.

It is so very worrisome to note that according to Global Hunger Index 2017, India

ranks 100 in a group of 119 developing countries, and very sad to know that we are

lagging behind China (rank 29) Nepal (rank 72) and Srilanka (rank 84).

Question: What is the rank of India according to Global Hunger Index

2017?

Ans: India ranks 100 in a group of 119 developing countries

India’s hunger index score for 2017 was 31.4 which indicates a serious situation.

Proportion of undernourished in the population in India during (2014-16) was

14.5% (i.e. one in every seven persons in India is under nourished. 38.4% of the

children under the age of five were stunted (low height for age) during 2012-16.

21% of children under the age of five were wasted (low weight for height) during

2012-16. Under-five mortality rate in India was 4.8 in 2015.

According to ‘The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015’ report of the United

Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation , India is home to the highest number of

hungry people in the world. 194.6 million out of 795 million in 2014-15.

Nearly a quarter of the World’s hungry live in India.

This explains the magnitude of the problem. ‘Food Security implies access by all the

people at all times to sufficient quantities of food to lead an active and healthy life.

It implies:

1) Adequate supply of food at the aggregate level

2) enough purchasing capacity at the household level to buy food.

Adequate supply of food again involves two dimensions :-

1) The quantitative dimension (supply of food grains should meet the demand

for food grains)

2) The qualitative dimensions – nutritional requirements of the population should

be taken care of.

If the country or economy is able to produce and supply enough of food grains in

the economy, that would be a welcome feature but it does not guarantee food

security.

The population should have enough of purchasing power to buy the supplied food.

The economy therefore has taken the responsibility of increasing the purchasing

power of its people through introduction of employment generation programmes.

To tackle the quantitative and qualitative aspects of food security problem, the

Government of India has relied on the following three food based safety nets:-

1) The Public Distribution System (PDS)

2) The integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)

3) Mid-day meals programmes (MDM)

Public Distribution System in India (PDS)

This has been one of the most important food based safety net introduced by the

Government of India. PDS distributes commodities worth more than Rs.30,000

crores annually to more than 160 million families and is perhaps the largest

distribution network of its kind in the world. PDS in India caters to the whole

population.

Question: What is the basic objective of the PDS in India ?

Ans : The basic objective of the PDS in India is to provide essential consumer goods

at cheap and subsidized prices to the consumers so as to insulate them from the

impact of rising prices of these commodities and maintain the minimum nutritional

status of our population.

Question: Which is the main agency providing food grains to PDS ?

Ans: The main agency providing food grains to the PDS is the Food Corporation of

India (FCI) set up in 1965.

Question: What is the primary duty of Food Corporation of India ?

Ans :

1)The primary duty of the corporation is to undertake the purchase, storage,

movement, transport, distribution and sale of food grains and other food stuffs.

2)It ensures on the one hand that the farmers get remuneration prices for their

produce (not less than the support/procurement prices fixed by the government),

and on the other hand, the consumers get food grains from the Central pool at

uniform prices (known as issue prices) fixed by the Government of India.

3)The Corporation also maintains buffer stocks of food grains. Ever since FCI

started its procurement operations; dependence on imports of food grains has

declined considerably enabling the country to save valuable foreign exchange. The

FCI has also played an important role in building up scientific storage capacity in

the country thus reducing losses on storage.

Question: When TDPS was adopted in India?

Ans: TDPS: Target Public Distribution System (TPDS)

With a view to targeting the PDS better to the really needy people, the

Government of India adopted the TPDS from June 1, 1997.

Question: TPDS aims on what ?

Ans: TPDS aims at providing food grains to people Below the Poverty Line (BPL) at

highly subsidized prices from the PDS and food grains to people above poverty line

at much higher prices. Thus, the TDPS adopted by the Government of India

maintains the universal character of the PDS but adds a special focus on the people

below the poverty line. (known as BPL)

What are the key features of TPDS ?

Ans: “Targeting The maximum income level for the population to be covered under

BPL was kept at Rs.15,000 per annum. Initially the quantity of food grains supplied

per household per month was 10kg which is now 35kgs. per household.

2) Dual (Multiple) Prices – The Government adopts multiple pricing system,for

whom?

Ans:

a) For BPL Consumers

b) For APL Consumers

c) Antyodaya Anna Yojana

3) Central State Control Control on aspects of BPL population and related issues

oscillated between – State and Centre.

However, now the size of the BPL population and the entitlement of BPL population

are decided by the Central Government.

The Public distribution system is not free from troubles. Problems existed both at

the conceptual level and operational level in identifying household below the

poverty line, many non-poor families were included inTPDS while many eligible poor

families were left out. There were leakages and diversion, late and irregular arrival

of grains in fair price shops, burden of subsidy etc. In spite of all these problems

the role played by the Government is laudable, but still needs fine tuning.

While production of enough food is a matter of concern, supply of food to all the

citizens of the economy is also a matter to be looked into. Good and adequate food

goes a long way in improving the health levels of its citizens, which in turn reduces

expenditure on health. Government of India on its part has evolved several

measures to provide food security. These include the Public Distribution System, the

Integrated Child Development Services, and the Mid Day Meal Scheme.

Questions:

1)What is Food Security?

Ans: Food security entails ensuring a degree from supply to people, especially those

who are deprived of basic nutrition. Food Security has been a major concern in

India –

2)According to UN – India how many are under nourished ?,

Ans: There are nearly 195 million (2017 data) under nourished people in India,

which is a quarter of the world’s hunger burden.

2)What is PDS (Public Distribution System) ?

Ans : It is an Indian Food Security System.

3)Which is known as Right to Food Act ?

Ans : The National Food Security Act, 2013 (also known as Right to Food Act) is an

Act of the Parliament of India which aims to provide subsidised food grains to

approximately two thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people.