{"id":54567,"date":"2025-09-19T21:05:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T15:35:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=54567"},"modified":"2025-09-20T13:23:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T07:53:50","slug":"primary-food-consumption-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/19-09-2025\/primary-food-consumption-india","title":{"rendered":"Equalising Primary Food Consumption in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Issues Related To Food Security<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s journey from food scarcity to self-sufficiency has been remarkable; however, millions still face hunger, and even more suffer from inadequate nutrition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Primary Food Consumption in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the <strong>Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023\u201324 <\/strong>by the <strong>National Sample Survey (NSS) Office:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rural households<\/strong> spent 47.04% on food items, while <strong>urban households <\/strong>allocated 39.68% to food.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Non-food expenditure<\/strong> accounted for<strong> 52.96% in rural areas<\/strong> and <strong>60.32% in urban areas.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>World Bank&#8217;s \u2018Poverty and Equity Brief: INDIA\u2019, 2025<\/strong> suggests that <strong>extreme poverty (living on less than $2.15 per day) <\/strong>fell from 16.2% in 2011-12 to 2.3% in 2022-23.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Major Poverty Committees in India Based On Consumption<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Alagh Committee (1979):<\/strong> <strong>First official attempt<\/strong> to define poverty lines for rural and urban India. It is <strong>based on minimum calorie intake <\/strong>\u2014 2,400 kcal\/day for rural and 2,100 kcal\/day for urban areas.<br>&#8211; <strong>Lakdawala Committee (1993):<\/strong> Used <strong>consumption expenditure data<\/strong> from NSSO surveys.<br>&#8211; <strong>Tendulkar Committee (2005\u20132009):<\/strong> Moved <strong>away from calorie norms<\/strong> to a broader consumption basket.<br>1. Include health and education in poverty estimation.<br>2. Use <strong>Mixed Reference Period (MRP)<\/strong> for data collection.<br>&#8211; <strong>Rangarajan Committee (2012\u20132014):<\/strong> Reassess poverty measurement amid criticism of Tendulkar methodology.<br>1. Raise poverty thresholds: \u20b932\/day for urban and \u20b927\/day for rural (2014 prices).<br>2. Include food, clothing, rent, transport, education, and health in the poverty basket.<br>3. Suggested tracking the bottom 30% of the population for policy targeting.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Beyond Calories: \u2018Thali Meal\u2019 Approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Conventional method: <\/strong>Poverty in India has <strong>historically been measured<\/strong> by the income required <strong>to meet minimum calorie needs.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It does not capture the broader aspects of nutrition and food satisfaction, while this physiological approach has merit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Thali as a Metric: <\/strong>The <strong>thali meal<\/strong>, comprising<strong> rice, dal, vegetables, roti, curd, and salad,<\/strong> represents a balanced and culturally relevant unit of <strong>food consumption in South Asia.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Using CRISIL\u2019s <strong>estimate of \u20b930 per home-cooked thali,<\/strong> researchers have calculated affordability levels based on actual food expenditure data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Findings (2023\u201324):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>50% of rural households<\/strong> and <strong>20% of urban households<\/strong> could not afford two thalis a day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Even after accounting for <strong>Public Distribution System (PDS) supplies<\/strong>, deprivation remained high: <strong>40% in rural areas<\/strong> and <strong>10% in urban areas<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It suggests that <strong>food deprivation<\/strong> persists at much higher levels than <strong>World Bank poverty figures indicate.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Related Concerns &amp; Issues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>PDS Effectiveness:<\/strong> Cereals constitute only about <strong>10% of household expenditure<\/strong>, limiting the system\u2019s effectiveness in tackling broader nutritional deficits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Subsidy Distribution: <\/strong>In rural India, the top 10% still receive almost the same subsidy as the bottom 5%, despite having triple the expenditure capacity.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In urban India, while the subsidy regime is more progressive, around <strong>80% of households<\/strong> still benefit, including those well above basic nutritional needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unequal Protein Consumption: <\/strong>The consumption of <strong>pulses, <\/strong>unlike cereals, the main source of protein for many Indians \u2014 is <strong>highly unequal.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The poorest consume <strong>half the pulses<\/strong> compared to the richest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Efforts &amp; Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Public Distribution System: <\/strong>It provides <strong>subsidised cereals and free food<\/strong>, and has <strong>equalised cereal consumption<\/strong> across income groups.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Even the richest consume roughly the same amount of rice and wheat as the poorest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Urban Poverty Alleviation (2024 Pilot Mission): <\/strong>It builds on the success of DAY-NULM, which mobilized over 1 crore urban poor households into <strong>Self-Help Groups,<\/strong> with 90% women participation. It targets urban poverty with five components:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Community-led Institution Development;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Financial Inclusion &amp; Enterprise Development;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social Infrastructure;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Convergence with other ministries;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Innovative Projects for vulnerable groups (e.g., gig workers, domestic workers)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Comprehensive Nutrition Report<\/strong> highlights that improving iron intake and diversifying sources is essential to combat anaemia among women and children.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Other Efforts Supporting Primary Food Consumption<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Food Security Act (NFSA):<\/strong> Legally entitles up to 75% of rural and 50% of urban populations to subsidized food grains.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Covers 81 crore beneficiaries, including 16 crore women, under:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Priority Households (PHH)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY):<\/strong> Launched during COVID-19 to provide free food grains to the poor.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Extended for five more years from January 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Benefits 81.35 crore people, ensuring food access during economic disruptions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/12-10-2021\/pm-poshan-scheme\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/12-10-2021\/pm-poshan-scheme\">PM POSHAN (formerly Mid-Day Meal Scheme)<\/a>:<\/strong> Targets nutritional improvement in school children.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Covers government and aided schools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promotes regular school attendance and better learning outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fortified Rice Distribution: <\/strong>Enhances rice with essential vitamins and minerals.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over 406 lakh metric tonnes distributed via PDS since 2019\u201320.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aims to combat hidden hunger and micronutrient deficiencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Policy Recommendations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Restructure PDS subsidies<\/strong>: Increase support for the poorest households.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Eliminate subsidies for households already consuming more than two thalis a day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reallocate resources<\/strong>: Rationalise excessive cereal entitlements.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Redirect savings toward subsidising pulses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Make PDS compact and effective<\/strong>: Avoid blanket coverage that spreads resources thin.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Target support to equalise primary food consumption across the population.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> Discuss the significance of equalising primary food consumption in India in the context of nutritional equity, regional disparities, and government policy interventions.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/lead\/equalising-primary-food-consumption-in-india\/article70066773.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-19-September-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India\u2019s journey from food scarcity to self-sufficiency has been remarkable; however, millions still face hunger, and even more suffer from inadequate nutrition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54567"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54628,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54567\/revisions\/54628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}