The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD;) on January 16, 2024, issued the Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Amendment Order, 2024, to further amend the Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2015. The following amendments have been stated: In clause 4, which states “Ration Cards”, in sub-clause …
Demand and supply projections are crucial for formulating farsighted agricultural and food policies to sustain food production, ensure food security and for the efficient functioning of food systems while controlling for external factors such as changing consumption basket, taste, and preferences, changing population growth and income growth. Against this backdrop, …
In a somewhat concerning development on macro-economic front, retail inflation, measured by the year-on-year (YoY) Consumer Price Index (CPI) remains above the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper tolerance ceiling of 6 percent (4+/- 2 percent), at 6.83 percent in August 2023. In the last month, retail inflation had surged …
Judgment of the Calcutta High Court in the matter of Yeasin Molla & Others Vs Union of India & Others dated 12/09/2023. The petitioners are the ration card holders and members of Priority Household under the National Food Security Act, 2015. In the instant writ petition the petitioners have challenged …
People may avoid migrating if they cannot insure themselves against the risk of a bad outcome. Governments can reduce the consumption risk faced by migrants by allowing them to access social protection programs in the destination. This study randomly informed around 62,000 households across 18 Indian states about a new …
The Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in its report titled Coarse grains production and distribution, said Considering the fact that more and more states are opting for millets, with a view to encourage remaining states to opt for nutritious and healthy millets in combination with rice …
Food Subsidy is provided by the Government of India (GoI) for the supply and distribution of foodgrains and other essential commodities. With the passing of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in 2013, nutritional security became a right. Under the Act, adequate quantities of quality food at affordable prices are …
A leading economist recently stated that food security may be the defining global challenge of the Century. And in underscoring the importance of social protection, the head of an international organization declared that must recognize, share, scale up and build on these successful measures. In a way, this volume aims …
This paper studies the impact of high global food prices on household welfare in India. Use the 2007-08 surge in global food prices and household share of area under rice and wheat at the baseline to show that food cultivating households gain from high prices. These welfare gains mainly accrue …
Odisha has been adjudged the top ranked State followed by Uttar Pradesh at the 2nd spot and Andhra Pradesh at third amongst the General Category States in ‘State Ranking Index for NFSA’. Among the Special Category states/UTs, Tripura stood first followed by Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim respectively. Further, among the …
The Government of India has proposed mandatory rice fortification to tackle the issue of malnutrition in the country. The process of fortification includes externally adding nutrients to a food item with the aim to increase its nutritional value. This report brings to light the lack of adequate scientific data to …
This Report of the Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution deals with the action taken by the Government on the recommendations/observations contained in the Eleventh Report of the Committee (17th Lok Sabha) on the subject ‘Price Rise of Essential Commodities - Causes & Effects’ pertaining to the …
As the COVID outbreak started, the Government of India announced food safety schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for NFSA beneficiaries and Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package (ANB) for Migrants/Stranded Migrants easing the hardships faced by the poor/vulnerable beneficiary due to economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 …
The study assessed the impact of the pandemic on migrant workers using a telephonic survey of around 2917 migrants across six states: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The survey was conducted in three phases (30 June-15 August 2020, 7 November-30 December 2020 and the last week …
This report released on May 5, 2021 by the Azim Premji University investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted vulnerable households, whether the policy measures enacted thus far were effective, and what more can be done. Earnings of 230 million Indians fell below national minimum daily wage of during the first …
A Parliament Standing Committee, comprising MPs of parties that have been vehemently opposing the three new farm laws, has asked for implementation of Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 — one of the three controversial laws — in “letter and spirit”. In its report tabled in the Lok Sabha on 19 …
The Union Budget 2021-22 comes at a time that is unprecedented. 122 million people have lost their jobs and millions are at risk of falling back into poverty (Vyas, 2020). At the same time, the wealth of billionaires in India has continued to grow at a rapid pace— Mukesh Ambani …
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on face-to-face interactions and the movement of persons (the ‘lockdowns’) produced a widespread crisis of hunger, felt most acutely by migrant workers and those who were outside the reach of India’s highly organised but rigid Public Distribution System (PDS). This study focuses on what …
This paper examines whether participation in workfare and food grain subsidy programs in India impacts health and nutritional status of women and children in participating households, using short-term morbidity and body mass index (BMI) as indicators. Using the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS), a nationally representative panel data survey conducted …
This paper examines whether participation in workfare and food grain subsidy programs in India impacts health and nutritional status of women and children in participating households, using short-term morbidity and body mass index (BMI) as indicators. Using the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS), a nationally representative panel data survey conducted …
