How is food security ensured in India?

Solution:

Food security is ensured in a country when the three dimensions of food security are taken care of. The three dimensions are:

Availability of food − Presence of enough food for all the persons

Accessibility of food − Absence of barrier on access to food

Affordability of food − Capability of all persons to buy food of acceptable quality

Food security has been ensured in India because of the following factors.

(i) Self-sufficiency of food grains − India has become self-sufficient in food grains (as was its aim since Independence) during the last thirty years. This has been because of a variety of crops grown all over the country.

(ii) Food-security system − The availability of food grains has been ensured by the government with the help of a carefully designed food-security system. This system involves the maintenance of a buffer stock of food grains, and the distribution of this food among the poorer sections of the society with the help of a public distribution system.

(iii) Implementation of several poverty-alleviation programmes having an explicit food security component − Apart from the distribution of food through fair-price shops, the government has come up with several poverty-alleviation programmes that enhance food security; for example, mid-day meals and food-for-work.

(iv) Involvement of cooperatives and NGOs − In addition to the role of the government in ensuring food security, various cooperatives and NGOs are also working intensively towards this direction. Mother Dairy and Amul are two examples of cooperatives involved in ensuring food security.