Lok Sabha Question No. 63 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-02
Subject: Revamping of PDS to Tackle Nutritional Deficits
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Geetha Viswanath Vanga, Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## IUIINISTRY  OF CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD & PUBLIG DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMEI{T  OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 63 TO BE ANSWERED  ON 2"d ?ebruaryt20.21

## REVAMPING OF PDS TO TACKLE NUTRITIONAL DEFICITS

## 63,  SHRIMATI  VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH:

## SHRI KOTHA PRAB}IAKAR REDDY:

Will the Minister of GONSUMER AFFAIRS' FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTIoN  trctTIrdI erri, ur<-r dtr  grffir fuf,wr  f* be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether India fares poorly in hunger index and ranks 94 out of {O7 countries in the tndex as the country has the highest prevalence  of undernourished children, even Bangladesh and Pakistan score better and 76Yo ot rural lndians cannot afford nutritious  diet and there is a need for a revamped  PDS to tackle nutritional  deficits; and
- if so, the details thereof atong with the funds spent so far in the last
- (b) five years and the corrective steps being taken in this regard?

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINTSTRY OF GONSUMER AFFAIRS' FOOD &

## ANSWE R PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(sHRt DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

- (a) & (b): As per  information avaalabte in the public domain {https://www.globalhunqerindex.orq/download/all.html),  lndia ranks 94 in the Global Hunger lndex (GHt) 2O2O reposl brought out by Goncern Worldwide and Welthungerlife.  As per GHI Reports, the Gomposite  GHI scores of lndia have improved from 38.9 in 2OOO to 27-2 an 2O2O. Thus, the country has shown consistent improvement over the  years. The calcutation of GHI is based on following indicators  namely:
- (i) the  percentage  ol population  that  is undemourished  (l/3'd weightage);
- (iD  percentage  of children under five years old who suffer from wasting and stunting ({/3d weightage); and
- (aai) chald mortatity  ({/3d weightage).

The value of Undernourished  indicator calculated  over the span of indicator improved from {8.6 in  2000-2OO2 to  14.O in  2O17'2O19.

time shows that lndia has made significant improvement.  The score of the Bangladesh  is ranked 75 and Pakistan is ranked 88.

The Government of lndia accords high priority to the issue of hunger and has been providing foodgrains at highly subsidized prices to the targeted population through State  Govemments/Union Territory Administrations  under ational Food Security Act (NFSA)' 2Ol3 and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS). NFSA provides for coverage of upto 75o/o ol lhe rural poputation and upto 5O% of the urban population  for receiving foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)r thus covering about two-thirds  of the population  of the country for receiving foodgrains @ Rs 11213 per kg for nutri-cereals/wheaUrice  respectively. ldentification of beneficiaries  under the Act is under two categories' households covered under Antyodaya  Anna Yoiana (AAY) and Priority Households  (PHH), within the coverage deterrnined  for the State/UT. While Priority Households  are entitled to receive 5 kg per person per month, AAY househotds, which constitute the poorest of the poorr continue to receive  35 Kg of foodgrains per household per month. At present,  the Act is being implemented  in all the States/UTs covering about 79.43 crore persons to get highly subsidized  foodgrains. The coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit. The Act also contains provisions for nutritional  support to pregnant women and lactating mothers  and children upto {4 years of age.

The implementation  of NFSA through the Public Distribution  System (PDS) is a  loint  responsibility of the Gentral and State Governments/UT Administrations, and the State Governments/UT Administrations are responsibte  for the identification of beneficiaries under the NFSA.

During the year 2O19-2O, the Government allocated a quantity of

605.72lakh MT of foodgrains  to the States/UTs under NFSA, Other Welfare Schemes and allocations due to natural calamities and festivals. During the current year i.e. 2O2O-21,  the Government of lndia has so far allocated 943.53 lakh MT of foodgrains under NFSA, OWS' Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyaan Anna Yoiana, Atmanirbhar Bharat and other additional attocations.  The scheme of End-to-End  Gomputerization of the PDS has ensured rightful targeting of the beneficiaries all over the country.

Government  of India has issued advisories  to al! States/UTs to identify and cover the weakest sections of the society under PDS and launch special drives to issue ration cards to them. Advisories have been issued to all State/UTs that no beneficiary/household  shall be deleted from the list of eligible beneficiaries/households only on the grounds of not possessing Aadhaar and shall also not be denied subsidized foodgrains  or cash transfer of food subsidy under NFSA due to non-availability of Aadhaar  or failure of biometric  authentication.

Further, some very critical programme  and schemes have been taunched by the Government in last 3-4 yearc particularly,  POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anemia Mukt Bharat, Rotavirus and Pneurnococcal vaccines. Home Based Newborn Gare, Home Based Gare of Young Ghild with the aim to improve Health and Nutrition outcomes particularly of Women and Ghildren.

To address anemia and micro-nutrient deficieney in the country, Government  of lndia approved Gentrally  Sponsored Pilot Scheme on "Fortification  of Rice & its Distribution under Public Distribution System (PDS)" for a period of 3 years beginning in 2O{9-2O with total outlay of Rs 174.64 Cr. The Pilot Scheme as intended to focus on {5  Districts, preferably { District per State. The scheme is funded by the Government of lndia in the ratio of 9O:{O in respect of North-Eastern,  Hilly and Island States and in  the ratio ol  75:25 in  respect of  the rest of  the States. Fifteen State Governments  i.e.  Andhra Pradesh, Keralat Karnataka,  Maharashtra,  Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Assamr Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puniab, Ghhattisgarh, Jharkhandr  Uttarakhand  & Madhya Pradesh have consented and identified their respective Districts ({ District Per State) for implementation of the Pilot Scheme. So far, Six states namely of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtrar  Tamil Nadut Ghhattisgarh & Uttar Pradesh have started distribution of fortified rice under the scheme in their selected districts.

Anganwadi Services, under umbrella lntegrated  Ghild Development Services (IGDS) Scheme  is  one of the flagship programmes of the Government  of  lndia. The Gentrally Sponsored Scheme provides a package  of six services comprising of (i) Supplementary Nutrition (SNP); (ii) lmmunization; (iii) Health Gheck up; (iv) Referral Servicesl (v) PreSchool Non-formal  education  and (vi) Nutrition & Health Education  since 1975. The services here is a universa! self-selecting and the Scheme aims at addressing  health, nutrition, early learning and the development needs of young children as well as pregnant women and nursing mothers. Expenditure  in respect of Anganwadi  Services under umbrella IGDS is as below:

(in Rs. crore)

|   S. No. | Year                         | Expenditure   |
|----------|------------------------------|---------------|
|        1 | 2016-17                      | 14r43O.31     |
|        2 | 2017-18                      | 15,{55.34     |
|        3 | 2018,49                      | 16,811.71     |
|        4 | 2019-20                      | 16,89{.99     |
|        5 | 2O2O-21 (as on 31.12.202fJ', | 12,672.83     |

The details of total funds (subsidy) released by the Govt. of lndia to Food Gorporation of lndia and Decentratized Procurement  (DCP) States during the last 5 yearc as below:

in Rs. crore)

| Year                       | FCI                   | Subsidy DCP States   | 'Iota! subsidy released   |
|----------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|---------------------------|
|                            | Net subsidy released* | released             |                           |
| 2016.17                    | 78334.61              | 2733435              | 1o5672.96                 |
| 2017-14                    | 61 981.69             | 38000                | 99981.69                  |
| 20{ 8-19                   | 70098                 | 3{029.485            | 1(,1127.445               |
| 2019-20                    | 75000                 | 44944.35**           | 119944.35                 |
| 2020,-21 (upto {8.O1.2o2{} | 7794O                 | 37147.71             | 115167.71                 |

*Over  & above, amount of Rs. 25O0O crore in FY 2016,'17, Rs 400OO crore in FY 2017-18, Rs TOOOO crore in FY 2Ol8-{9 and Rs 4416,4.02 crore in FY 2O19-2O  released from food subsidy, has been adiusted  for repayment  of National Smal! Sayings Fund (NSSF) loan for 2O2O-21.

**The  RE, 2O19-2O was Rs 33508.35  crore. Tota! release includes Rs. 11436 crore reteased to DCP States from NSSF loan to FGI & equivalent amount as to be reimbursed to FGI during FY 2O2O'21 from DGP head. Accordingty, Ministry of Finance has additionally allocated  (over and above BE lor 2O2t}-l21l Rs {OOOO  crore for repayment  to FGI for ilSSF loan & said amount of Rs. {OOOO crore has been released to FGI from DGP head in October 202O. The amount of Rs {OOOO crore to FGI for NSSF loan has not been included in the subsidy figures mentioned for DGP or FCl.