Note on Indian Food Security Act for Social Work Postgraduate students

1. FOOD
SECURITY ACT
Master of Social Work

2. WHAT IS
FOOD
SECURITY?
Based on the 1996 World
Food Summit, food security
is defined when all people, at
all times, have physical and
economic access to sufficient
safe and nutritious food that
meets their dietary needs and
food preferences for an active
and healthy life.
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3. Dimensions and
Strategies
The four main dimensions of
food security:
Availability
Accessibility
Utilization
Stability
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Strategies:
Strengthening safety nets
Delivering emergency support
Promoting farming system
Supporting investment for research
Advocating for policy and reforms

4. The national food
security act, 2013
• Aims to ensure “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
matters connected therewith or incidental thereto”.
• 10 September 2013
• Right to Food – Right to Life – Article 21
• From welfare to right based approach.
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5. Life cycle approach
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6. history
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1
Indus Valley
Civilization.
Harappa and
Mohanjadharo.
2
14 famines
between 11ᵗʰ and
17ᵗʰ century.
20 between 1860
and 1909.
3
India opted
planned
economic
development.
4
Comprehensive
Food Policy
5
Public
Distributive
System followed
by National Food
Security Act,
2013.

7. provisions
Identification of
eligible households
State govt. shall identify the households
to be covered under Antyodaya Anna
Yojana, remaining as priority households
under TPDS.
Women empowerment
• Eldest woman in every household
shall be the head of the household for
the purpose of the issue of ration
cards.
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8. provisions
Obligation of
Central Govt.
Obligation of
State Govt.
Nutrition
support for
Women and
Children
• Allocate foodgrains to
the state
• Provide transportation of
foodgrains
• Ensure regular supply of
foodgrains to individuals
belonging to eligible
households
• Responsible for actual
implementation and
monitoring of schemes
• Ensure delivery and
supply of foodgrains to
entitled persons
• Maintain storage
facilities in state, district
and local levels.
• Meal through
Anganwadi
• Maternity benefit of
Rs. 6000
• Mid-day Meal
• Nutritious intakes for
children up to 14 yrs.
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9. Criticisms
• Caste is marring mid-day
meals.
• Corruption in the issuance
of ration cards
• Act fails to take into
account the evils of
malnutrition
• Right to Food should also
include Right to Nutrition
• Allows room for unfair
trade practices – leakages
and corruption in PDSs.

10. Thank you
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