3.4. National Food Security Act, 2013

It marks a paradigm shift in approach to food security – from a welfare to rights based approach. The Act legally entitles up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System. About two thirds of the population therefore is covered under the Act to receive highly subsidized foodgrains. There is a special focus in the Act on nutritional support to pregnant women and lactating mothers and children up to 14 years of age by entitling them to nutritious meals. Pregnant women will also be entitled to receive cash maternity benefit of Rs. 6,000 in order to partly compensate her for the wage loss during the period of pregnancy and also to supplement nutrition. Keeping in view the important role that women play in ensuring food security of the family, the Act contains an important provision for women empowerment by giving status of head of the household to the eldest woman of the household, for the purpose of issuing of ration cards.

Further, the Act seeks to provide food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity and for matter connected therewith or incidental to it. The Act brings the Right to Food within the framework of legally mandated entitlements.