Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is a government ministry of India. The Ministry is headed by a Cabinet rank minister. Departments. The ministry is divided into two departments, the Department of Food and Public Distribution and the Department of Consumer Affairs. Department of Food and Public Distribution. The objectives of the Department are to ensure: Public Distribution System. The Indian Public Distribution System (PDS) is a national food security system that distributes subsidised food to India's poor. Major commodities include wheat, rice, sugar and kerosene. Surpluses of  food from increased crop yields (as a result of the Green Revolution and good monsoon seasons) are managed by the Food Corporation of India, established by the Food Corporation Act 1964. The system implements national policy for farm price support, operations, procurement, storage, preservation, inter-state movement and distribution. PDS has a network of about 478,000 Fair Price Shops (FPS), perhaps the largest distribution network of its type in the world, operated by the Union Government and state governments. Department of Consumer Affairs. The Department administers the policies for Consumer Cooperatives, price monitoring, essential commodity availability, consumer movement and control  of statutory bodies such as the Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS) and Weights and Measures. The department is responsible for: The department regulates the availability and prescribes measures to see that the system works towards the food security of vulnerable people. This intent is to increase dignity, accountability, visibility, positive orientation and changed mind set. References. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution