Enumerate major reforms taken in Public distribution system in India ?Suggest measures to strengthen nutritional security in India ?

Introductions: India’s Targeted Public Distribution System, under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) is the largest public food-security program in the world. This system manages the food security requirements of around 80 crore beneficiaries across India, through the country wide network of more than 5.33 lakh fair price shops. The food security response of the Government through Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) combined with One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) during COVID-19 pandemic served as a lifeline for the people and is being hailed globally as a shining example for its efficiency and sensitivity towards poor and vulnerable sections of the society.

 Major Reforms in Public Distribution System (PDS):

Aadhaar Seeding in PDS: To weed out duplicate/in-eligible/bogus ration cards and to enable rightful targeting 83.41% i.e. about 19.41 crore ration cards (as on 29th May, 2018) have been Aadhaar seeded. Under Section-7 of the Aadhaar Act 2016, the Department has notified the use of Aadhaar to receive subsidized foodgrains or Cash transfer on 08th February, 2017.

Automation of Fair Price Shops: On the basis of pilots and learnings from the States/UTs, in November, 2014 Department of Food & Public Distribution prescribed the guidelines and specifications for use of PoS at FPS. At present 3,16,600 FPSs (as on 29th May, 2018) out of 5,27,930 have PoS.

Digital/Cashless/Less-cash Payments in PDS: To promote the use of less-cash/digital payment mechanisms, the Department has issued detailed guidelines for use of AePS, UPI, USSD, Debit/Rupay Cards and e-Wallets on 7th December 2016. At present in 10 States/UTs a total of 51,479 FPSs are enabled for digital payments.

Apart from the above, 100% digitization of Ration Card data has been done, all States have transparency portal, 30 States have online allocation of foodgrains and 21 States/UTs have computerised supply chain management system.

New central sector scheme ‘Integrated Management of PDS’ (IM-PDS): The scheme has been approved with an outlay of Rs. 127.3 crore to be implemented during FY 2018-19 and FY 2019-20 for establishing Public Distribution System Network (PDSN) to establish central data repository and central monitoring system of PDS operations and to also enable implementation of national level portability.

India’s Position Globally in terms of Nutritional Security

The Global Indicator Framework for SDGs includes defined targets and indicators for achieving progress in all dimensions of human development – social, economic and environmental. It recognises that ending poverty and eliminating nutritional deprivation by 2030 can be achieved only if other dimensions that improve health and education, reduce inequality, spur economic growth and tackle climate change are given equal importance.

Target :SDG 2 aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. One of the important targets under SDG 2 pertains to ending all forms of malnutrition by 2030, including reducing the incidence of stunting and wasting among children below 5 years of age and addressing the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.

 suggest the following measures to achieve nutritional security by 2030.

1. Synergy between Agricultural Programmes and Nutrition Sensitive Interventions 

Targeted agricultural programmes with a stronger design that support livelihoods, improve household food availability and diet quality and foster women’s empowerment need to be promoted.  Example :Poshan Abhiyan 

 Leveraging agricultural policies and programmes to be more “nutrition sensitive” and reinforcing diet diversification will help focus on both nutrition and development. Example Organic farming .

On the demand side, the central government should implement schemes that encourage a diversified food basket by mapping food consumption patterns and nutrition levels.

On the supply side, the focus should be on increasing diversification of production towards coarse cereals, pulses, and fruits and vegetables. To tackle the problem of malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies, the central government has proposed the promotion of millets under the public distribution system.

Example :Biofortification 

2. Food Grain Security to Nutritional Security

The food based safety nets in India are biased in favour of staples (rice and wheat) against arguably more nutritious foods such as coarse grains, pulses, and fruits and vegetables. Calories adequacy cannot address a household’s nutritional security without including protein rich food in the food consumption basket.

 In the long term, these food-based safety nets should shift towards cash payment to beneficiaries through direct benefit transfers (DBT) in a phased manner depending on the population density, geographical location, banking infrastructure and financial inclusiveness of the particular state. This will encourage beneficiaries to use the cash grant according to their consumption needs and give them greater autonomy to decide on their diet plans.

3.. Investment in Women’s Education, Particularly Higher Education

women’s education has a multiplier effect on household food security, awareness regarding nutrient rich diets, more equitable intrahousehold distribution of food, child health care, sanitation facility and personal hygiene. Nutritional education programmes should be incorporated into the school curriculum.

4.. Maternal Health and Child Care Practices

A high proportion of underweight women (with low BMI index) in the reproductive age is one of the significant factors leading to malnutrition in children. Investments in maternal health, provision of quality ANC and women’s nutrition are likely to have a significant effect in improving nutritional outcomes among children. 

 Focused and evidence-based initiatives such as India NewBorn Action, which was launched in 2014, are needed to achieve nutritional security. The initiative aims to reduce low birth weight in infants through ANC, health services for adolescents, nutritional counselling and micronutrient supplementation

 only 55 per cent of children in India were exclusive breastfed in 2015-16. The government needs to strengthen its regulation on breast milk substitutes through infant and young child feeding guidelines, ICDS and National Breastfeeding Promotion Programmes .

 

Only 9.6 per cent children in India were fed a minimum acceptable diet according to NFHS (2015-16). Promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and the introduction of complementary food and a diversified diet after the first six months is essential to meet the nutritional needs of infants and ensure appropriate growth and development of children. 

State governments need to prioritise their focus on improving health care facilities and increase investment to enable institutional deliveries at primary health centres, district hospitals and government run hospitals to make it inclusive for the poor.

5. Integrated Nutrition Policy against Multi-Dimensional Indicators of Malnutrition

 Lack of iron and other micro-nutrients, and low intake of a diversified diet escalate the risk of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in India. The high burden of anaemia among women and children increases the risk of mortality and child under-nutrition. This requires nutritional interventions such as the Comprehensive Programme on Anaemia Prevention and Control, National Iron Plus Initiatives (2013) and Anaemia Mukt Bharat, under POSHAN Abhiyan for children at a young age.

6. WASH for Nutritional Security

The major ongoing central government programme, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, aims to push the safe drinking water, universal sanitation coverage and hygiene (WASH) agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals. The remarkable achievement of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is expected to contribute to a reduction in child mortality and malnutrition rates. The synergy between WASH initiatives and nutritional intervention will have a multiplier effect on nutritional outcomes

The success of water and sanitation infrastructure programmes depends on a core aspect of the WASH initiative, which is spreading awareness of basic sanitation and hygiene to community and school children, with special focus on behavioural change, capacity building; it needs to be implemented at both the national and grass roots level.