This is an analysis of Food Security Act, passed recently by Indian Parliament. the Act appears to be broadly framed, and might give scope for excuses.

1. National Food Security Act:
An Analysis
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy
Chetana Society
Presented at National Seminar on “Food security and Food Production: Institutional
Challenges in Governance Domain”, 31st October – 1st November, 2013, Indian Institute of
Public Administration, New Delhi

2. Act: Objective
to provide for food and nutritional
security in human life cycle approach,
by ensuring access to adequate
quantity of quality food at affordable
prices to people to live a life with
dignity and for matters connected
therewith or incidental thereto.
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

3. Act: Who gets?
• Percentage by central govt. based on
census
• 75% rural, 50% urban coverage
• State government to determine within
this percentage
• Families under AAY – 35 kgs per family
• Priority HH under TPDS
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

4. Act: How much?
5 kgs per person at subsidised prices
35 kgs per family AAY
Subsidised prices (for a period of three years)
Max.rs 3 per kg for rice
 Max rs. 2 per kg for wheat
 Max Rs.1 per kg for coarse grains

 Subsidised prices, not exceeding MSP
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

5. Food Security Policies
Integrated Child Development Services
National Maternity Benefit Scheme
Mid-Day Meal Scheme
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
Antyodaya Anna Yojana
Targeted Public Distribution System
National Old Age Pension Scheme
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

6. Food Security Policies
Annapurna
National Family Benefit Scheme
National Food Security Mission
National Horticultural Mission
National Food Security Act
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

7. Human Life-cycle Approach
Pregnant women
Mother’s close to delivery
Child is born
Child in school
Adolescent girls
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

8. Human Life-cycle Approach
Adulthood
Adult gets old
Adult’s premature death
Aged 11 – 18 years!
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

9. Institutional design
State Food Commissions
any commission
 Joint State Food Commission

District grievance redressal officer
Vigilance Committees
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

10. Obligations: Central government
 Procure
grains for the central pool
 Allocate required quantity from central pool to
States (As per no. of identified persons by each
State)
 Provide for transportation
 provide assistance to the State Government in
meeting the expenditure
 create and maintain required modern and
scientific storage facilities
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

11. Obligations: State government
Identification
of eligible persons
Implementation and monitoring
 Implementing
different schemes
 Can devise any more schemes
 Take delivery of grains
 Ensure actual delivery of grains
 If not, ensure food security allowance in cash
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

12. Obligations: Local authorities
Proper Implementation of the Act
State government can assign new responsibilities
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

13. Provisions for advancing food
security (Schedule III)
Revitalisation of Agriculture





agrarian reforms through measures for securing interests of small
and marginal farmers;
increase in investments in agriculture, including research and
development,
extension services, micro and minor irrigation and power to
increase productivity and production;
ensuring livelihood security to farmers by way of remunerative
prices, access to inputs, credit, irrigation, power, crop insurance,
etc.;
prohibiting unwarranted diversion of land and water from food
production.
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

14. Provisions for advancing food
security (Schedule III)
Procurement, storage and movement
Incentivising decentralised procurement
 Geographical diversification of procurement
 Augmentation of storage (adequate, modern,
scientific, decentralised)
 Giving top priority to movement (railway
rakes)

Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

15. Provisions for advancing food
security (Schedule III)
Others…
safe and adequate drinking water and sanitation
 health care
 nutritional, health and education support to
adolescent girls
 adequate pensions for senior citizens, persons
with disability and single women.

Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

16. Questions and Concerns
What happens if it is not implemented?
Why a Act, and why not a scheme?
Too much of flexibility? Rules become
important
Who has the liability?
Financial management – releases, approvals
Maintenance of records
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

17. Questions and Concerns
Price determination by whom? What is the
process of price determination?
Dynamism in eligibility – not
institutionalised
Why not decentralised food security
systems?
What about quality? No clauses/provisions
on quality
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

18. Questions and Concerns
No provision on food diversity
Provisions for protecting biodiversity? Or
no reference to biodiversity
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

19. Threats
High flexibility in the Act
WTO Doha Round
National Foreign Trade Policy
Climate change and disasters
Political will
Institutional lethargy
Mismatch between 5Y Plan and NFSA
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

20. Scope
Framing rules
Food security policy
Involvement of gram panchayats
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

21. Thank
You
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy