Class 9 Social Science Notes Chapter 4 (Food security in India) – Economics Book

Alright class, let's focus on a very crucial topic today, Chapter 4: Food Security in India, from your Economics textbook. This is vital not just for your exams but also for understanding a fundamental aspect of our country's well-being and governance. Pay close attention as we break down the key concepts.

Chapter 4: Food Security in India - Detailed Notes for Exam Preparation

1. What is Food Security?

• Food security means availability, accessibility, and affordability of food for all people at all times.
• Availability: Food production within the country, food imports, and previous years' stock stored in government granaries (buffer stock).
• Accessibility: Food is within reach of every person (physical and economic reach).
• Affordability: An individual has enough money to buy sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs.
• Food security is essential for a country because the poorest section of society might be food insecure most of the times, while persons above the poverty line might also be food insecure when the country faces a national disaster/calamity like earthquake, drought, flood, tsunami, widespread failure of crops causing famine.

2. Dimensions of Food Security:

• The 1995 World Food Summit declared that 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.
• This adds the dimension of nutritional security and food preference.

3. Why Food Security?

• To ensure everyone gets food, especially the vulnerable sections.
• To handle situations of natural calamities (drought, flood, earthquake, tsunami) which can lead to widespread food shortages (famine).
• Example: The Bengal Famine of 1943 was a devastating event highlighting the catastrophic consequences of food insecurity.

4. Who are Food-Insecure?

• In Rural Areas: Landless agricultural labourers, traditional artisans (potters, weavers etc.), petty self-employed workers, and destitute including beggars. Small farmers who depend on uncertain rainfall are also vulnerable.
• In Urban Areas: People employed in ill-paid occupations, casual labourers engaged in seasonal activities, the homeless.
• Social Composition: Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and some sections of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) who have poor land-base or low productivity are prone to food insecurity.
• Specific Groups: People affected by natural disasters, pregnant and nursing mothers, and children under the age of 5 years are disproportionately affected. Malnutrition is high among these groups.
• Regional Dimension: Food insecure people are disproportionately large in some regions like economically backward states with high poverty incidence (e.g., parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra).

5. Hunger:

• Hunger is another aspect indicating food insecurity.
• Chronic Hunger: Consequence of diets persistently inadequate in terms of quantity and/or quality. Common among people with very low income and inability to buy food.
• Seasonal Hunger: Related to cycles of food growing and harvesting. Prevalent in rural areas (due to seasonal nature of agriculture) and in urban areas (among casual labourers).

6. Food Security System in India:

India aims for self-sufficiency in foodgrains post-Independence. Key strategies adopted:

• The Green Revolution (Especially in Wheat and Rice): Introduced High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of seeds, increased use of fertilizers and pesticides, and improved irrigation, leading to a significant increase in foodgrain production, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh. This made India self-sufficient in foodgrains.
  • Limitation: Focused mainly on wheat and rice, benefiting specific regions more.
• The White Revolution (Operation Flood): Focused on increasing milk production, making India a leading milk producer.

To ensure food security for all, the Indian government designed a system comprising two main components:

• a) Buffer Stock:
  • Definition: Stock of foodgrains (mainly wheat and rice) procured by the government through the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
  • Procurement: FCI purchases wheat and rice from farmers in states with surplus production at a pre-announced price called the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
  • MSP: Price declared by the government every year before the sowing season to provide incentives to farmers for raising production.
  • Purpose:
    • To distribute foodgrains in deficit areas and among poorer strata of society at a price lower than the market price (also known as Issue Price).
    • To resolve the problem of shortage of food during adverse weather conditions or disaster periods (price stabilization).
• b) Public Distribution System (PDS):
  • Definition: A system through which food procured by the FCI is distributed to the eligible sections of society through government-regulated ration shops.
  • Mechanism: Ration shops (also known as Fair Price Shops) keep stocks of foodgrains, sugar, and kerosene oil. These items are sold to people at a price lower than the market price (Issue Price).
  • Eligibility: Families are issued ration cards (different types based on poverty status - APL, BPL, Antyodaya).
  • Evolution of PDS:
    • Started as a general entitlement scheme.
    • Revamped PDS (RPDS) - 1992: Launched in backward blocks, targeting remote and backward areas.
    • Targeted PDS (TPDS) - 1997: Adopted the principle of targeting the 'poor' in all areas. Differential price policy for poor (BPL - Below Poverty Line) and non-poor (APL - Above Poverty Line).
    • Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) - 2000: Targeted the 'poorest of the poor' among BPL families. Provides highly subsidized foodgrains (initially 25 kg, now 35 kg per family per month).
    • Annapurna Scheme (APS) - 2000: Targets indigent senior citizens who are not receiving old-age pensions. Provides 10 kg of foodgrains per person per month free of cost.

7. Current Status and Challenges of PDS:

• Achievements: PDS has helped stabilize food prices, make food available to consumers at affordable prices, and avoid widespread hunger and famine. It has also contributed to increased food grain production by providing price support to farmers (MSP).
• Criticisms/Challenges:
  • Inefficiency & Leakages: Instances of PDS dealers diverting grains to the open market, selling poor quality grains, irregular opening of shops.
  • Targeting Issues: TPDS led to exclusion errors (deserving poor left out) and inclusion errors (non-deserving benefiting).
  • Burden on FCI: High levels of buffer stocks (often exceeding norms), leading to high carrying costs (storage, wastage).
  • MSP Issues: Increased MSPs have induced farmers (especially in surplus states) to divert land from coarse grains (food for the poor) to rice and wheat. Intensive cultivation raises environmental concerns (water usage). Rising MSPs increase the food grain procurement and maintenance cost for the government.
  • Regional Disparities: PDS effectiveness varies significantly across states.

8. Role of Cooperatives in Food Security:

• Cooperatives are also playing an important role, especially in the southern and western parts of India.
• They set up shops to sell low-priced goods to poor people.
• Examples:
  • Mother Dairy (Delhi): Provides milk and vegetables at controlled rates.
  • Amul (Gujarat): Success story in milk and milk products (part of White Revolution).
  • Academy of Development Science (ADS) (Maharashtra): Facilitated a network of NGOs for setting up grain banks in different regions. ADS's efforts are recognized for influencing government policy on food security.

Conclusion:

Food security is a multi-dimensional issue requiring sustained government intervention. While India has achieved self-sufficiency in food grain production and has established extensive systems like Buffer Stock and PDS, challenges related to accessibility (especially nutritional access), affordability for the poorest, efficiency of distribution, and sustainable agricultural practices remain. The role of cooperatives offers a promising alternative/supplementary channel. Continuous monitoring, evaluation, and reform are necessary to ensure food security for all citizens.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Which of the following are the dimensions of food security?
   a) Availability of food
   b) Accessibility of food
   c) Affordability of food
   d) All of the above

2. Buffer Stock is the stock of foodgrains procured by the government through which agency?
   a) National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)
   b) Food Corporation of India (FCI)
   c) Ministry of Agriculture
   d) State Warehousing Corporations

3. The price at which the FCI purchases grains from farmers is called:
   a) Issue Price
   b) Market Price
   c) Minimum Support Price (MSP)
   d) Ceiling Price

4. Which scheme was launched in 2000 specifically targeting the 'poorest of the poor'?
   a) Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS)
   b) Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)
   c) Annapurna Scheme (APS)
   d) Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)

5. Seasonal hunger is most prevalent in:
   a) Urban areas among salaried employees
   b) Rural areas due to the nature of agricultural activities
   c) Metropolitan cities among IT professionals
   d) Coastal areas during fishing season

6. The Green Revolution in India primarily led to increased production of:
   a) Pulses and Millets
   b) Wheat and Rice
   c) Oilseeds
   d) Fruits and Vegetables

7. Ration shops selling essential items at subsidized rates are also known as:
   a) Supermarkets
   b) Cooperative Stores
   c) Fair Price Shops
   d) Wholesale Markets

8. Which of the following groups is generally NOT considered among the most vulnerable to food insecurity in India?
   a) Landless agricultural labourers
   b) Urban salaried employees with regular jobs
   c) Traditional artisans
   d) Casual labourers in urban areas

9. The price at which foodgrains from the buffer stock are sold through the PDS is known as:
   a) Minimum Support Price (MSP)
   b) Procurement Price
   c) Market Price
   d) Issue Price

10. Which cooperative society is famously associated with the White Revolution (milk production) in Gujarat?
    a) Mother Dairy
    b) Lijjat Papad
    c) Amul
    d) Academy of Development Science (ADS)

(Answer Key: 1-d, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d, 5-b, 6-b, 7-c, 8-b, 9-d, 10-c)

Make sure you revise these notes thoroughly. Understanding the concepts of Buffer Stock, MSP, PDS, and the different schemes is crucial for your exams. Good luck!