National Advisory Council proposed

A broad framework for

Food Security
January 2011
Expert Commission on
Food Security
Extends debate;
Meet on Jan. 21 again
 A broad framework for Food
Security
• Swift initiation of programmes for relieving
disadvantaged citizens from chronic hunger and
malnutrition. (pregnant and nursing mothers,
infants in the age group of zero to three, and
other disadvantaged citizens).
• The NAC has stressed that in the design of the
delivery system there should be a proper match
between challenge and response, (as for
example, the starting of community kitchens in
urban areas).

2
• The NAC has proposed a phased programme of
implementation of the goal of public distribution
system. This will start with either one-fourth of the
districts or blocks in 2011-12 and may cover the
whole country by 2015 .
• Required to be developed are the : infrastructure
such as grain storage facilities and Village Knowledge
Centres and the issue of Household Entitlements
Passbooks.
• The NAC is hoping to develop inputs for the proposed
Food Security Act covering legal entitlements and
enabling provisions based on the principle of
common but differentiated entitlements, taking into
account the unmet needs of the underprivileged.
3
4
The proposal supported by the Planning Commission,
suggesting that the Tendulkar committee figures for
those living below the poverty line be the cut off for
providing food grains at Rs 3 per kg, could now get
greater weightage.
The favoured proposal also recommends that only
33% of the urban population be provided subsidized
grains and provide differential services to different
income segments.
5
The proposal may allow for the rural population living
above the Tendulkar poverty line -- or Above Poverty
Line beneficiaries -- to get only 25 kg of food grain, at a
higher rate.
The step away from universalisation of the PDS scheme,
if accepted, would radically reduce the number of
beneficiaries of the proposed Act as well as pare down
the government's annual subsidy bill by Rs 15,000-
20,000 crore.

6
Planning Commission GOI - India's Nutrition Challenges
Full story: www.youtube.com

10 August 2010 New Delhi N.k.sagar _ Sagar Media:

Press release -India's Nutrition Challenges -: India faces
the development paradox of being in the front ranks of
fast growing global economies, with vibrant economic
growth rates in stark contrast- around one third of the
world's undernourished children are found in India. The
above development paradox persists in spite of strong
Constitutional legislative, policy, plans and programme
commitments that address the multidimensional nature
of the nutrition challenges.
7
Various national programmes are:
• Integrated Child Development Services,
• National rural Health Mission,
• Janani Suraksha Yojana,
• Total Sanitation Campaign,
• National Rural drinking water Programme,
• Mid Day Meals Scheme,
• Target Public Distribution System,
• National Horticulture Mission,
• MGNREG Scheme,
• National food Security Mission and
• National Rural Livelihood Missions.

8
• Coverage has expanded significantly over past
couple of years.
• India where every third women is undernourished
and every second young child faces the same
deficiency.
• Planning Commission Government of India has
therefore organized Multi stakeholder retreat to
address Nutrition Policy, its planning and
surveillance.
9
10
11
 Explore causes of food insecurity in India

• It has been observed that the proportion of

the malnourished fell by about one per cent,
(FAO,2002) through the nineties in India but
their absolute numbers increased by about 18
million.
• It is a problem where a certain sector suffer
from a shortage of food in a general climate of
rising production. There is a near break down
of targeted distribution system in many parts
of India.
12
 Explore causes of food insecurity in India

• Problems of India today are the shrinking of

agrarian and informal sector incomes and

• failures (both due to policy framing as well as

implementation) of support led measures to
combat poverty.

13
• In developing countries the poor spend upwards
of 50% of their income on food – the poorest
spend 80% or more. The increase in food prices
has increased not just poverty, but also hunger.

• Some elements that have influenced the rise in

agricultural commodity prices are, among
others: scarce water supplies, production costs,
droughts and climate change.
14
• We need a new food system, a system that
respects political, social, cultural, and
environmental rights as well as the
economic importance of agriculture.
• Governments need to integrate respect for
the universal human right to food in all
economic policy planning.

15
16
17
 Saturday, Nov 27, 2010
Experts group to study NAC proposals on food security Bill

• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has formed an experts

group chaired by the chief of Prime Minister's Economic
Advisory Council, C. Rangarajan, to examine the
recommendations of the Sonia Gandhi-headed National
Advisory Council on the proposed food security Bill. Members
of the Rangarajan - led group include Chief Economic Adviser
to the Finance Ministry Kaushik Basu, Expenditure Secretary
Sushma Nath, Agriculture Secretary P.K. Basu, Food Secretary
B.C. Gupta, a representative from the Planning Commission
and the Registrar-General of India. The panel is expected to
give its views in a month.

18
 Rangarajan panel for diluted version of food security law
f e Bureau Posted: Friday, Jan 14, 2011

• The UPA government would have to settle for a

much more realistic and doable version of its
showpiece food security law. An expert panel set
up by the Prime Minister has pitched for
“calibration” — if not dilution — of the Sonia
Gandhi-led National Advisory Council’s plan for a
near-universal food safety net.
• The panel headed by C Rangarajan highlighted
constraints of food grain availability and
procurement mechanism to contend that the
largesse as conceived by NAC might not be
feasible.

19
Under the NAC proposal, 75% of the country’s
population will get legal entitlement to subsidised food
grain by 2013-14 — 7 kg per person for “priority
households” and 4 kg per person for general
households.
In its report released Thursday, the expert panel said
NAC had underestimated the food grain requirement
for such an ambitious programme and ignored the fact
that if procurement is stepped up beyond a limit
20
it could lead to distortions in the open market. The
panel, therefore, recommended an alternative: for the
time being, limit the programme to assured delivery of
food grain at Rs 2/kg for wheat and Rs 3/kg for rice to
the “really needy households.”
Later, depending on the availability of grain, the scheme
could be extended to the rest of the target population,
but with a varying quantum of entitlement.

21
NAC, however, sought to stand by its proposals.
When contacted, council member NC Saxena
said: “If the concern is about food stocks, then
why are exports being allowed? Moreover, if
stocks are not enough, then we should start
procurement from the eastern regions — West
Bengal, Orissa and Bihar.” He added that the
council would meet January 21 to discuss the
issue and take a view on it.
“Experience shows that when you push
procurement, production also increases
because farmers start. 22
Draft of proposed National Food
Security Bill, 2010

Published by India Together

Friday, 01 January 2010
 Draft of proposed National Food Security Bill,
2010
Whereas the Government has several schemes for
augmenting agricultural production and
ensuring adequate availability of food for different
segments, a Bill to provide a statutory
framework to entitle families living below the
poverty line to certain minimum quantities of
foodgrains per month through targeted public
distribution system. This Act may be called the
National Food Security Act, 2010.

24
 PROVIDING FOOD SECURITY
Assured Food Security to BPL families:
Every identified BPL family will be entitled to
receive every month from the Government 25 kg
foodgrains such as rice and / or wheat at
subsidized issue prices fixed from time to time in
a manner as may be provided under the Rules.
Provided that the Government may make
additional allocations of foodgrains depending
upon availability and at such prices as may be
prescribed.

25
 Targeted Public Distribution System
1) For ensuring supply of wheat and/or rice to
identified BPL families as per their entitlement
under section 3 of this Act, the Central
Government shall allocate required quantity of
wheat and/or rice from the central pool to State
Governments under Targeted Public Distribution
System (TPDS) for distribution to identified BPL
families through the network of Fair Price Shops
(FPS).
2) For this purpose, TPDS will be implemented
jointly by Central and State Governments as
provided under Chapter III.

26
 Identification of BPL families
(2) Guidelines for identification of BPL families
would be issued by the Central Government.
The Central Government shall fix the number of
the identified BPL families for each State for
coverage under the Targeted Public Distribution
System on the basis of poverty estimates
notified by the Planning Commission of India
and relevant census data of Registrar General of
India taken as reference for the purpose from
time to time. Additional number by States:
27
(3) However, if a particular State Government is
to extend its support of this kind to certain
additional families in the State over and above
that provided under section 3 , it may do so but
only by separate identification of such additional
families and with its own budgetary resources.
While doing this, that State Government shall
not be competent to reduce the scale of
distribution of wheat and/or rice or food
security allowance payable in lieu thereof to
each identified BPL family as provided by the
Government of India under the TPDS.
28
 Accountability & Transparency

• The Central Government and State Governments

shall take necessary steps within their respective
areas of responsibility to ensure accountability
and transparency in the PDS. All PDS-related
records are to be placed in the public domain and
open to public scrutiny.

29
 Source of Draft:
• My Green Channel
[email protected]
• Lakshya Foundation [email protected]

• X-56, [2nd floor] This e-mail address is being

protected from spambots. You
• Green Park Main need JavaScript enabled to view
it.
• New Delhi-110 016 011 - 26510323
• 110 016 011 - 26520323

• INDIA

30