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3. Food Security
3.1. Introduction3.2. Qualitative and Quantitative Dimensions of Food Security3.2.1. Quantitative Dimension of Food Security in India3.2.2. Qualitative Dimension of Food Security in India3.3.1. Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)3.3.2. Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme(EGS) across the country. For primary students-300 calories and 8-12 gm protein and for upper primary students-700 calories and 20 gm protein has been kept as norm.3.4. National Food Security Act, 20133.4.1. Key Features of the Act3.4.2. Critical Evaluation of NFSA3.5. WTO and Food Security[WTO rounds related to Agriculture and Public Stockholding has been dealt in detail in the Farm Subsidies Section]Demands of India in WTOWTO 11th Ministerial Conference at Buenos Aires in December, 2017 ended in a stalemate with no permanent solution.1. With overflowing godowns and the presence of one of the largest population of hungry in the world, there seems to be a paradox in the Indian system. Comment and provide suggestions to rectify it.Answer:Institutional Set upPolicies and legislations2. Starvation in the midst of plenty; this reflects the sorry state of affairs associated with the issue of food security today. In light of this statement, what role does buffer stock play in promoting food security? Comment on the Institutional Setup for the management of buffer stocks and bring forward challenges as well as solutions associated with the same.Answer:3. Huge increase in food production in recent times has neither resulted in a more equitable distribution of food nor has it led to a moderation in food inflation. In this context, discuss the systemic and operational inefficiencies in the grain management system in the country.Answer:4. Food and nutritional security, increasing farm income, poverty alleviation and minimizing crop production risks on account of climate change are the priority challenges faced by Indian agriculture. Comment. Also, suggest measures to address these challenges on priority basis.Answer:5. Despite being amongst the top agricultural producers, there exists a huge gap between production and availability of food grains and vegetables in India. Analyse the reasons for the same with special focus on post-harvest losses. Also enumerate the steps taken by the government to address the problem.Answer:Reasons for the low per capita availability ♤ Rationalising buffer stocksSeveral steps have also been taken to reduce post-harvest losses:6. “Food Security Act shouldn’t be seen as just another subsidy. If implemented well, itAnswer:7. Indian agriculture has become cereal-centric and as a result, regionally biased and input-intensive. Discuss. What steps have been taken by the government to rectify this issue?Answer: ♤ Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millet Promotion (INSIMP), National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Technology Mission on Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm and Maize (ISOPOM)8. Financial support to farmers through various instruments has been a crucial aspect of agricultural policy of the government. Examine whether the proposal of moving towards direct transfer of benefits and universal crop insurance would alleviate the existing concerns in the current scenario.Answer:Direct Transfer BenefitsChallengesCrop Insurance SchemeBenefitsChallengesWay forward
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