Food security and public distribution system in India: An empirical study

Food security is a condition related to the supply of food, and individuals’ access to it. Concerns over food security have existed throughout history. India has now reached a stage where the country is no longer exposed to real famines. Attaining food security is a matter of prime importance for India where more than a-third of its population is estimated to be absolutely poor, and as many as one half of its children have suffered from malnourishment over the last three decades. India's Public Distribution System (PDS) is the largest distribution network of its kind in the world. The present paper attempts to address the meaning, causes, consequences and solutions of the food security and the functioning of the PDS in India. It is an empirical study based on data collected through field survey. This study covers four villages, located in the district of Jalpaiguri of West Bengal, India, consisting of 160 households in 2018. The paper presents a comparative study of the four villages considered in the study, focusing on various aspects of food security and the role of Govt. in food security. A number of suggestions have been put forward for better and wider implications of the food security to the disadvantaged people of India. This concise and readable survey not only presents a simple history of food and its consumption, but also provides a unique examination of world history itself.