New Delhi, October 16 (IANS). India’s food security system aims to provide safe and nutritious food to 81 crore people. The government said this on the occasion of World Food Day 2025.
World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16 October to make people understand the importance of safe, nutritious and sustainable food. This year’s theme is ‘Working together for better food and a better future’.
“Food security ensures that every person always has enough food that is safe and nutritious to meet his or her needs and preferences, so that he or she can lead a healthy and active life,” the government said in an official statement. For this, not only is it necessary to produce sufficient food, but its correct and equitable distribution is also equally important.
The statement further said, “India’s food security plan is based on two main parts. The first is to strengthen agricultural production and the second is equitable and fair distribution of the food produced.
Over the years, India has implemented several schemes and programs to improve food security. These programs focus on reducing poverty, eliminating malnutrition and making the agricultural sector sustainable.
Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, about 81 crore people are provided food grains at subsidized prices. Apart from this, there are schemes like Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Decentralized Procurement Scheme and Open Market Sale Scheme which keep the prices of food grains stable and save poor families from hunger and malnutrition.
Besides, India has also increased the production of food items like wheat, pulses, milk, honey. The National Food Security Mission, started in 2007-08, is now known as the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission, which pays special attention to production as well as nutrition. Under this mission, food grains are ensured for the central pool by increasing food grain production. At the same time, through the National Food Security Act, these food items are delivered to the needy properly and equally.
The government said, “India has registered an increase of about 90 million tonnes in food grain production in the last decade. During the same period, the production of fruits and vegetables has also increased by more than 64 million tonnes.
The government further said, “Globally, India ranks top in the production of milk and millet, while it ranks second in the production of fish, fruits and vegetables. The production of honey and eggs has also doubled compared to 2014. India’s agricultural exports have also almost doubled in the last 11 years.
The government has also launched many more schemes to ensure food security. in these
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), Rice Promotion Initiative, Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT), Integrated Child Development Schemes, PM Poshan (Poshan Shakti Nirman) Scheme, One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), Public Distribution System (PDS) and Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic).
The government says that all these efforts and schemes reflect India’s commitment to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. Along with this, it also ensures that all the citizens of the country get adequate and nutritious food, so that they can live a healthy and active life.
–IANS
PK/DSC
