Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Annna Bhagya Scheme
Mains level: Not Much
Central Idea
- The government in Karnataka is facing challenges in procuring rice for its ambitious Anna Bhagya scheme.
- However, there is a ray of hope as Punjab has agreed in-principle to supply the required quantity of rice.
What is Anna Bhagya Scheme?
- The state government plans to enhance the free rice allocation per person in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) card from 5 kg to 10 kg.
- The scheme is estimated to cost the exchequer ₹840 crore monthly and ₹10,092 crore annually.
- It is scheduled to be launched on July 1.
Challenges Faced
- The Food Corporation of India (FCI) initially agreed to provide the required 2.28 lakh tonnes of rice but later refused to do so.
- Telangana and Andhra Pradesh expressed inability to supply, while Chhattisgarh government offered to supply 1.5 lakh tonnes.
- Karnataka is now searching for rice in other states and aims to purchase it at ₹34 per kg.
Consideration of Alternative Grains:
- If needed, the state may provide 2 kg of either ragi or jowar, which would last for six months.
- However, the government still needs to supply an additional 3 kg of rice on top of the existing 5 kg allocation.
Punjab’s Offer
- The Punjab government expressed willingness to supply rice to Karnataka in the federal spirit.
- Punjab has enough rice and wants to help mitigate the problems faced by the poor across the country.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS)
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central Idea
- The Centre has discontinued the sale of rice and wheat from the central pool to State governments under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).
- This move is aimed at controlling price inflation and stabilizing food prices, but it may have an impact on states like Karnataka that offer free grains to the poor.
What is Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS)?
- The OMSS refers to the government’s selling of food grains, such as rice and wheat, in the open market at predetermined prices.
- The scheme aims to enhance grain supply during the lean season and moderate open market prices.
- It consists of three components:
- Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.
- Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction by dedicated movement.
- Sale of Raw Rice Grade ‘A’ to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.
Working of OMSS
- To ensure transparency, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has adopted e-auction as the method for selling food grains under the OMSS (Domestic).
- Weekly auctions are conducted on the NCDEX platform.
- State governments and Union Territory Administrations can participate in the e-auction if they require wheat and rice outside TPDS & OWS (Targeted Public Distribution System & Other Welfare Schemes).
Reasons for Discontinuation of OMSS:
- Controlling price inflation: Discontinuing OMSS helps regulate the supply of rice and wheat to prevent price hikes.
- Ensuring price stability: By limiting the availability of grains through OMSS, the government aims to maintain stable market prices.
- Balancing stock levels: Discontinuation allows for better management of grain stock in the central pool.
- Streamlining distribution channels: OMSS discontinuation enables a more focused and efficient distribution of grains through targeted welfare schemes.
- Efficient utilization of resources: By discontinuing OMSS, resources can be allocated more effectively to optimize procurement and distribution efforts.
- Flexibility in response to market conditions: The discontinuation provides flexibility to adjust grain supply based on market demands and conditions.
- Promoting market competition: The absence of OMSS encourages the participation of private traders and bulk consumers, fostering a competitive market environment.
Concerns and Production Challenges
- Adverse weather conditions: Unseasonal rains, hailstorms, and higher temperatures have posed challenges to wheat production.
- Lower production and higher prices: The adverse weather conditions may lead to reduced wheat production and subsequent price increases.
- Rice price fluctuations: Rice prices have already increased by 10% at the mandi level in the last year.
- Dependence on monsoon rains: Monsoon rains are crucial for rice production, as 80% of the country’s total rice production occurs during the kharif season.
- Potential impact on food security: Lower production and price fluctuations can affect food security, particularly for vulnerable sections of society.
- Procurement challenges: Slow wheat procurement and increased prices create difficulties in achieving procurement targets and maintaining stock levels.
- Potential impact on overall agricultural output: Production challenges in wheat may have a ripple effect on the overall agricultural sector and farm incomes.
- Need for stabilizing measures: Measures to stabilize supply, improve agricultural practices, and manage weather-related risks are crucial to address these concerns.
Efforts to Stabilize Supply and Stock Levels
- Food Corporation of India: FCI plays a vital role in ensuring the availability of food grains at reasonable prices to vulnerable sections of society through the Public Distribution System.
- Increased Procurement: The government has set a procurement target of 341.5 lakh metric tonnes of wheat for the ongoing Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2023-24.
Conclusion
- The Centre’s decision to discontinue the sale of rice and wheat to states under the OMSS aims to control price inflation and stabilize food prices.
- Exceptions have been made for regions facing specific challenges.
- The imposition of stock limits and offloading through the OMSS demonstrates the government’s efforts to manage overall food security and prevent hoarding.
- However, concerns remain regarding lower wheat production due to adverse weather conditions, highlighting the need for measures to stabilize supply and stock levels.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Jal Jeevan Mission
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central Idea
- Potable water: The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide piped potable water to all of India.
- Potential Life-Saving Impact: If successful, the mission could avert nearly 400000 deaths from diarrhoea.
- Reduction in Disease Burden: The mission could avoid 14 million DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) related to diarrhoea.
Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY)
- DALY is a metric used to measure the burden of disease on a population.
- It combines years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLLs) and years lived with a disability (YLDs) into a single measure.
- DALYs provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact of diseases, injuries, and disabilities by quantifying both the years of healthy life lost and the years lived with a disability.
- This metric helps policymakers and researchers prioritize health interventions and allocate resources effectively to address the overall disease burden in a population.
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About Jal Jeevan Mission
- Launch: Government initiative launched in 2019
- Goal: Provide access to clean and piped drinking water to every rural household
- Focus: Water supply infrastructure development, community participation, water quality monitoring
- Objective: Improve health, well-being, and productivity of rural communities, Addressing challenges of water scarcity, contamination, and inadequate infrastructure
- Target: Achieve 100% coverage by 2024 for reliable and sustainable water supply
- Definition of functional Connection: A fully functional tap water connection means receiving at least 55 litres of potable water per capita per day throughout the year
The key objectives of the Jal Jeevan Mission include:
- Universal coverage: Mission aims to achieve tap water connections for all rural households, ensuring access to potable water within premises.
- Sustainability: Focus on long-term sustainability through community participation, water resource management, and water conservation practices.
- Quality assurance: Prioritizing safe and clean drinking water by implementing water quality monitoring systems and adhering to prescribed standards set by BIS.
- Convergence and coordination: Emphasis on collaboration among stakeholders to effectively achieve mission objectives.
Socioeconomic Benefits of the Mission
- Economic Savings: The study suggests that the mission could save close to $101 billion.
- Time Savings: It could save 66.6 million hours per day that would have been spent collecting water, primarily by women.
- Improved Quality of Life: Access to piped water connections would enhance convenience and overall well-being.
- Sanitation benefits: Every dollar invested in sanitation interventions yields a $4.3 return in reduced healthcare costs.
Progress status of the scheme
- Current Coverage Levels: Around 62% of rural households have piped water connections.
- States and UTs at Full Coverage: Five states and three Union Territories have reported 100% coverage.
- Progress of states: Himachal Pradesh is at 98.87% coverage, while Bihar is at 96.30% and nearing saturation.
Limitations and Considerations of the Study
- Extrapolation of Data: The study extrapolates data and does not compute current levels of coverage.
- Contamination Concerns: The study does not account for the degree of contamination in the piped water provided.
- Data Sources: The authors used population data from the United Nations, the 2018 National Sample Survey, and water quality data collected by the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Challenges Addressed by the Mission
- Water scarcity: Mission aims to tackle the challenge of inadequate water availability in rural areas.
- Contamination: Focus on improving water quality and addressing issues of waterborne diseases.
- Infrastructure gaps: Efforts to bridge the gap in water supply infrastructure in rural regions.
Way forward
- Enhancing Capacity of Local Bodies: Provide support and resources to strengthen the capacity of local governance institutions in effectively managing and governing rural water supply systems.
- Promoting Community Participation: Foster active community participation in decision-making processes related to water infrastructure planning, implementation, and maintenance.
- Empowering Local Water User Committees: Strengthen the role of local water user committees in monitoring and regulating water supply services, promoting their active involvement in decision-making.
- Participatory Planning: Facilitate participatory planning processes, where water user associations actively contribute to the development of water management plans, considering local needs and priorities.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kudumbashree Scheme
Mains level: Women empowerment initiatives
Central Idea: President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the silver jubilee celebrations of Kudumbashree.
What is Kudumbashree?
- Kudumbashree is a poverty eradication and women empowerment program implemented by the State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM) in Kerala, India.
- The program was established in 1997 based on recommendations from a task force appointed by the state government.
- It was created in the context of devolving powers to the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) and the People’s Plan Campaign in Kerala.
- Membership in Kudumbashree is open to all adult women, with one membership allowed per family.
- In 2011, the Centre recognized Kudumbashree as the State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
Working mechanism
- Kudumbashree operates through a three-tier structure:
- Neighbourhood Groups (NHGs),
- Area Development Societies (ADS), and
- Community Development Societies (CDS).
- The community network was gradually expanded to cover the entire state between 2000 and 2002.
Evolution and Contributions of Kudumbashree
- Kudumbashree has transformed significantly over the past 25 years.
- During the Kerala flood, Kudumbashree donated a substantial amount to the Chief Minister’s relief fund, surpassing contributions from tech giants and foundations.
- The organization was initially conceptualized as an all-women poverty alleviation program.
- Despite being flood victims themselves, Kudumbashree members showed resilience and contributed generously to help others.
Role during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Kudumbashree played a crucial role in responding to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- They manufactured and distributed masks and sanitisers.
- The organization set up COVID treatment centres and worked as the nodal agency for COVID management in several local bodies.
- ‘Janakeeya Hotels’ provided affordable meals to those in need, including those in home quarantine.
Empowerment and Social Impact
- Kudumbashree has empowered women and facilitated grassroots planning for employment generation, poverty alleviation, and women’s empowerment.
- It mobilized women for community activities and increased their participation in local bodies.
- Kudumbashree’s initiatives include micro-enterprises, agricultural projects, rural development, and compassion programs.
- The organization has made significant strides in empowering Dalit and tribal women.
Challenges and Future Directions
- Critics highlight the need for Kudumbashree to evolve gender perspectives and alternative development models.
- Despite criticism, Kudumbashree’s contribution to poverty reduction is unparalleled.
- The organization aims to address gender-based crimes and eliminate social evils.
- Mental and cultural empowerment are deemed crucial for overcoming the ‘gender paradox’ in Kerala.
Conclusion
- Kudumbashree success in reducing poverty is widely recognized.
- Continued efforts are needed to combat gender-based crimes and challenges.
- Kudumbashree aims to be a force for positive societal change and women’s empowerment.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM MITRA
Mains level: Not Much
The Centre has selected seven states in India to set up new textile parks under the PM MITRA (Mega Investment Textiles Parks) Scheme.
What is PM MITRA Scheme?
- The scheme was announced in October 2021, and the parks will be established by 2026-27.
- MITRA aims to enable the textile industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments, and boost employment generation and exports.
- It will create world-class infrastructure with plug and play facilities to enable create global champions in exports.
- It will be launched in addition to the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI).
- It will give our domestic manufacturers a level-playing field in the international textiles market & pave the way for India to become a global champion of textiles exports across all segments”.
Its implementation
- An special purpose vehicle (SPV) owned by Centre and State Government will be set up for each park, which will oversee the implementation of the project.
- The Ministry of Textiles will provide financial support in the form of Development Capital Support up to ₹500 crore per park to the Park SPV.
- A Competitive Incentive Support (CIS) up to ₹300 crore per park to the units in PM MITRA Park shall also be provided to incentivize speedy implementation.
- Convergence with other Government of India schemes shall also be facilitated in order to ensure additional incentives to the Master Developer and investor units.
Envisaged Benefits
- The parks will boost the textiles sector in line with 5F (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) vision.
- The Centre envisages an investment of nearly ₹70,000 crore into these parks, with employment generation for about 20 lakh people.
- The parks will function as centres of opportunity to create an integrated textiles value chain, right from spinning, weaving, processing, dyeing and printing to garment manufacturing, all at a single location.
Need for such scheme
- Textile industry is critical to India’s economy, employing 4.5 crore people and contributing 7% of GDP. Despite its potential, the industry is facing challenges that need to be addressed.
- The unorganized textile industry in the country increased wastage and logistical costs, impacting the competitiveness of the country’s textile sector.
Challenges Faced by India’s Textile Industry
- High input costs due to high taxes and tariffs, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of skilled labor.
- Competition from cheaper imports (ex. from Bangladesh) and a growing informal sector.
- Environmental concerns related to the industry’s high water usage, pollution, and hazardous waste disposal.
- The pandemic further disrupted supply chains and led to reduced demand.
Conclusion
- PM MITRA Parks represent a unique model where the Centre and State Governments will work together to increase investment, promote innovation, create job opportunities and ultimately make India a global hub for textile manufacturing and exports.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Smart Cities Mission
Mains level: Not Much
Central idea: The Govt asks 20 worst-performing cities to improve as June 2023 Smart Cities Mission deadline nears.
What is the Smart Cities Mission?
- The Smart Cities Mission is an initiative of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry that was launched by PM on June 25, 2015.
- Cities across the country were asked to submit proposals for projects to improve municipal services and to make their jurisdictions more liveable.
- Between January 2016 and June 2018 (when the last city, Shillong, was chosen), the Ministry selected 100 cities for the Mission over five rounds.
Deadline of the project
- The projects were supposed to be completed within five years of the selection of the city.
- However, in 2021 the Ministry changed the deadline for all cities to June 2023, which was earlier the deadline for Shillong alone.
What kinds of projects were proposed?
- Project proposals ranged from making certain stretches of roads more accessible and pedestrian-friendly to more capital-intensive ones like laying water pipelines and constructing sewage treatment plants.
- All 100 cities have constructed Integrated Command and Control Centres.
- These centres monitor all security, emergency and civic services.
- During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of these centres were converted into emergency response units by the cities.
What is the status of the projects?
- As of March 3, 100 cities have issued work orders for 7,799 projects worth Rs 1.80 lakh crore.
- Out of these, 5,399 projects worth Rs.1.02 lakh crore have been completed, and the rest are ongoing.
- Only around 20 cities are likely to meet the June deadline. The rest will need more time.
- Shillong has completed just one of its 18 proposed projects.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Vaibhav Fellowship
Mains level: Not Much
The centre has launched VAIBHAV Fellowship scheme for the Indian Diaspora abroad on National Science Day.
VAIBHAV fellowship
- The Vaibhav Fellowship is a program that invites overseas Indian scientists and researchers to work with Indian institutions and universities for a period of 2-3 weeks.
- The program is open to individuals of Indian origin who are working in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
- The fellowship will provide opportunities for the diaspora to collaborate with Indian scientists and researchers, participate in conferences, and contribute to the development of the country’s science and technology sector.
Objectives of the Fellowship
- To create a platform for Indian diaspora scientists and researchers to connect with their counterparts in India and contribute to the country’s growth in the field of science and technology.
- To foster collaboration between Indian and overseas scientists and researchers, promote knowledge exchange, and build a network of professionals who can contribute to the development of the country.
Key facts
- Duration: The fellowship offers researchers an opportunity to work for a minimum of one month to a maximum of two months a year with a research institution or an academic institution in India.
- Corpus: Three years with the government offering the researchers an amount of up to Rs 37 lakh for the entire period.
- Eligibility: Researchers from institutions featuring in the top 500 QS World University Rankings will be eligible for the fellowship.
- Who can apply: The applicant should be a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian Origin (PIO) or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and she or he must have obtained Ph.D/M.D/M.S degree from a recognized University.
Significance of the fellowship
- The fellowship provides a platform for Indian scientists and researchers to collaborate with their counterparts abroad, which can help in the exchange of ideas and knowledge.
- It also provides an opportunity for the Indian diaspora to contribute to the development of their home country.
- By engaging with the Indian institutions and universities, the diaspora can bring in new ideas, technologies, and expertise that can help in the country’s development.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: OMSS, PDS
Mains level: Food inflation control measures
The government has announced its plan to sell 20 lakh tonnes of wheat from its buffer stock in the market under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).
Why such move?
- The purpose of the move is to cool down the surge in wholesale prices of grain.
- It will be sold in the open market to stabilize grain prices.
Do you know?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian government increased the allocation of rice and wheat for the OMSS to ensure that the supply of food grains remained stable and that people had access to affordable food. |
Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS)
- OMSS refers to the selling of food grains by the government/government agencies at predetermined prices in the open market from time to time.
- This scheme aims to enhance the supply of grains, especially during the lean season and thereby to moderate the general open market prices, especially in the deficit regions.
- The Food Corporation of India (FCI) on instructions from the Government, sells wheat and rice in the open market from time to time.
- This enhances the supply of wheat and rice especially during the lean season and moderates the open market prices, especially in the deficit regions.
Components of the scheme
The present form of OMSS comprises 3 schemes as under:
- Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.
- Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction by dedicated movement.
- Sale of Raw Rice Grade ‘A’ to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.
Selling through a transparent process
- For transparency in operations, the Corporation has switched over to e-auction for sale under Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic).
- The FCI conducts a weekly auction to conduct this scheme in the open market using the platform of commodity exchange NCDEX (National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited).
- The State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations are also allowed to participate in the e-auction if they require wheat and rice outside TPDS & OWS.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.The economic cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India is Minimum Support Price and bonus (if any) paid to the farmers plus:
(a) Transportation cost only
(b) Interest cost only
(c) Procurement incidentals and distribution cost
(d) Procurement incidentals and charges for godowns
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MGNREGS
Mains level: Right to work
The average days of employment provided per household under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) are at a five-year low, this financial year.
What is the news?
- As on January 20, the average days of employment provided per household is 42 days while it was 50 days in 2021-22, 52 days in 2020-21, 48 days in 2019-20 and 51 days in 2018-19.
Why such unprecedented drop in employments?
The program has been plagued by systemic problems that is disincentivising participation.
- Choking of funds: This has led to suppression of work demand and delays in wage payments.
- App for attendance: The introduction of unnecessary technical complexities like an app for attendance at worksites has caused more hardships for workers who will be more dissuaded going forward.
- States dismal policies: With less than two-months for the financial year to close, there are at least nine States and union territories which have utilised less than 70% of projected person days.
- Budgetary cuts: With low utilisation, financial outlay for the underperforming States is expected to further shrink in the upcoming financial year.
What is MGNREGS?
- The MGNREGS is a scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005.
- This is labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the ‘Right to Work’.
- The act was first proposed in 1991 by V. Narasimha Rao.
What is so unique about it?
- MGNREGS is unique in not only ensuring at least 100 days of employment to the willing unskilled workers, but also in ensuring an enforceable commitment on the implementing machinery i.e., the State Governments, and providing a bargaining power to the labourers.
- The failure of provision for employment within 15 days of the receipt of job application from a prospective household will result in the payment of unemployment allowance to the job seekers.
- Any Indian citizen above the age of 18 years who resides in rural India can apply for the NREGA scheme. The applicant should have volunteered to do unskilled work.
- Employment is to be provided within 5 km of an applicant’s residence, and minimum wages are to be paid.
- Thus, employment under MGNREGS is a legal entitlement.
Why is MGNREGS under fire these days?
- Not enough work: Bihar despite its levels of poverty, does not generate enough work to make a concrete difference, and on the other end of spectrum we have Kerala which is economically better but has been utilising it for asset creation.
- No asset creation: There is a lack of tangible asset creation. The committee will study if the composition of work taken up presently under the scheme should be changed.
Issues in implementation
- Insufficient budgetary allocations: Increase in the nominal budget but actual budget (after adjusting inflation) decreased over the years.
- Approved Labour Budget Constraints: The Centre through the arbitrary “Approved Labour Budget” has reduced the number of days of work and put a cap on funds through the National Electronic Fund Management System
- Not so attractive wages rate: Currently, MGNREGS wage rates of 17 states are less than the corresponding state minimum wages.
- Delay in wage payments: Under the MGNREGS, a worker is entitled to get his or her due wages within a fortnight of completion of work, failing which the worker is entitled to the compensation.
- No-work situations are rising: None of the states was able to provide full 100 days employment as mentioned in the scheme.
- Data manipulations by authorities: A recent study has found that data manipulation in the MGNREGS is leading to gross violations in its implementation.
- Non-purposive spending and corruptions: Many works sanctioned under MGNREGS often seem to be non-purposive. Quite often, they are politically motivated hotspots to create rampant corruption.
- Centralization weakening local governance: A real-time MIS-based implementation and a centralised payment system has further left the representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions with literally no role in implementation.
Conclusion
- Large scale social security programmes like MGNREGS are subjected to undergo several stumbling blocks in the times of ongoing pandemic.
- Government and NGOs must study the impact of MGNREGS in rural areas so as to ensure that this massive anti-poverty scheme is not getting diluted from its actual path.
- We must view MGNREGS as an opportunity and explicitly include it in a broad-based strategy to tackle any socie-economic crisis.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Grameen Udyami Scheme
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship the felicitation program of 200 tribal women under the Grameen Udyami Scheme.
Grameen Udyami Scheme
- It was launched to augment skill training in tribal communities for their inclusive and sustainable growth.
- It is a unique multiskilling project, funded by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) that aims to train tribal students in select states.
- It is implemented under Sansadiya Parisankul Yojana.
- Under the program, 49 ST clusters in 15 states of India have been selected by 40 tribal MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
- Under their leadership, the scheme in respective clusters is being implemented.
- One development associate is appointed by the MPs in each cluster.
Stated objectives
- Increase in Rural/Local Economy
- Enhance employment opportunities
- Reduce forced migration due to lack of local opportunities
- Conservation of natural resources
Scope of the project
- The project is being implemented in six states – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.
Benefits
- Transportation, boarding & lodging during the learning period is provided to candidates
- The training under the project will be conducted in the job roles which are relevant to the local economy.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NFSA, PMGKAY
Mains level: Schemes related to food security
The Centre has named its new free foodgrain scheme under the National Food Security Act, 2013, as ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)’.
PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
- PM had approved the new integrated food security scheme for providing free foodgrains for a year beginning January 1, 2023 to beneficiaries under the NFSA –
- Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
- Primary Household (PHH)
How is it different from earlier scheme?
- The difference between the two schemes is that about 81 crore NFSA beneficiaries were entitled to get free of cost 5 kg foodgrain per person in a month over and above their monthly entitlements.
- However, they were required to pay the subsidised rate of foodgrains (Rs 3 per kg rice, Rs 2 per kg wheat and Rs 1 per kg coarse grains) to purchase the quantity for which they were entitled–35 kg per Antyoday Anna Yojana Household and 5kg per person to a Priority Household in a month.
- In the new scheme, the government has done away with the subsided prices and is providing foodgrains free of cost for a year.
- Now the additional quantity, which was available during the Covid pandemic, will not be provided to these beneficiaries.
- They will receive as much quantity of foodgrains, for which they are entitled under the NFSA.
Implementation strategy
- For effective and uniform implementation of NFSA 2013, PMGKAY will subsume the two subsidy schemes of Department of Food & Public Distribution –
- Food Subsidy to FCI and
- Food Subsidy for decentralized procurement states dealing with procurement, allocation and delivery of free foodgrains to the states under NFSA
National Food Security (NFS) Act
- The NFS Act, of 2013 aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people.
- It was signed into law on 12 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013.
- It converts into legal entitlements for the existing food security program of the GoI.
- It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and the Public Distribution System (PDS).
- Further, the NFSA 2013 recognizes maternity entitlements.
- The Midday Meal Scheme and the ICDS are universal in nature whereas the PDS will reach about two-thirds of the population (75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas).
- Pregnant women, lactating mothers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free cereals.
Key provisions of NFSA
- The NFSA provides a legal right to persons belonging to “eligible households” to receive foodgrains at a subsidized price.
- It includes rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg, and coarse grain at Rs 1/kg — under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
- These are called central issue prices (CIPs).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Aspirational Block Programme (ABP)
Mains level: Read the attached story
Prime Minister has launched the government’s Aspirational Block Programme (ABP), which is aimed at improving the performance of blocks lagging on various development parameters.
Aspirational Block Programme (ABP)
- The Aspirational Blocks Programme is on the lines of the Aspirational District Programme that was launched in 2018 and covers 112 districts across the country.
- The Centre had announced its intention to launch this initiative in the Union Budget 2022-23.
- The programme will cover 500 districts across 31 states and Union Territories initially.
- Over half of these blocks are in 6 states—Uttar Pradesh (68 blocks), Bihar (61), Madhya Pradesh (42), Jharkhand (34), Odisha (29) and West Bengal (29).
- However, states can add more blocks to the programme later.
About Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP)
- Launched in January 2018, the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ initiative aims to remove this heterogeneity through a mass movement to quickly and effectively transform these districts.
- The broad contours of the program are Convergence (of Central & State Schemes), Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers & District Collectors), and Competition among districts driven by a spirit of mass Movement.
- With States as the main drivers, this program will focus on the strength of each district, identify low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts.
Behind the name
- PM then negated the idea of naming any scheme based on their backwardness.
- Rather the name ‘Aspirational’ presents a more affirmative action-based execution of the scheme.
Selection of districts
- A total of 117 Aspirational districts have been identified by NITI Aayog based upon composite indicators.
- The objective of the program is to monitor the real-time progress of aspirational districts based on 49 indicators (81 data points) from the 5 identified thematic areas.
Weightage has been accorded to these districts as below:
- Health & Nutrition (30%)
- Education (30%)
- Agriculture & Water Resources (20%)
- Financial Inclusion & Skill Development (10%)
- Basic Infrastructure (10%)
Strategy of the ADP
The core Strategy of the program may be summarized as follows.
- Making development a mass movement in these districts
- Identify low hanging fruits and the strength of each district, to act as a catalyst
- for development.
- Measure progress and rank districts to spur a sense of competition.
- Districts shall aspire to become State’s best to Nation’s best.
Features of the ADP
- It has transformed into a Jan Andolan.
- The ADP is different in trying to monitor the improvement of these districts through real-time data tracking.
- The programme seeks to develop convergence between selected existing central and state government programmes.
- District performance in the public domain and experience building of the district bureaucracy is another notable feature.
- The programme is targeted, not towards any single group of beneficiaries, but rather towards the population of the district as a whole.
What makes this program special?
The program reflects what has become of the development project in India under neoliberalism, especially after the end of planning.
- Long overdue sectors have been given more emphasis.
- It is not a tailor-made program with one-size-fit strategy. More onus has been laid on the districts. It has a district-intervention strategy.
- It works on the principle of SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threats) model and comparison with national best parameters for effective resource management.
- It is the most reviewed programme by the Prime Minister.
- A general idea behind the idea is that a good work never goes un-noticed. It is duly appreciated on social media as well as by the officials.
Programmatic Strengths
- A key strength of the ADP is the collection of baseline data and follow-ups at regular intervals.
- Sustaining this effort would create a robust compilation of statistics for use by both researchers and policy-makers.
- In doing this, the government also brings much-needed attention to human development and a willingness to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Incremental progress being made in the chosen districts as reflected in the rankings.
- The programme also claims to be “non-partisan and unbiased” and geared towards all-India growth.
- The selection of districts indeed suggests that the programme has not favored any bias either regional, political or any other.
- The programme seeks convergence of central and state schemes anchored around specific activities.
Issues with the programme
- Using the case of Bihar, they argue that the programmes selection of districts itself is problematic.
- In fact, it actually excludes the most backward districts because per capita income, the most basic measure of development, has not been considered.
- There seems to be some ambiguity around the issue of whether the programme is concerned only with improved access or also with the quality of service provided.
- The indicators used are not defined relationally, rather they are static human development indicators that do not see people mired in dynamic social relations.
- It is also accused that the state is not making any new or focused public investment (except for possible use of Flexi-funds) into these districts, on the other hand, it is moralizing about their inability to improve (through rankings).
- The programme is carrying the burden of proving the government’s “developmental” work without addressing any of the fundamental issues around achieving equitable development.
- Yet, the NITI Aayog justifies the overall approach as capitalizing on “low-hanging fruit.”
Way forward
- The program has been able to make difference in the lives of citizens of India, in education, health, nutrition, financial inclusion, skill development and this has made a difference to some most backward and most geographically far-flung districts of the nation.
- ADP is ‘aligned to the principle of “leave no one behind—the vital core of the SDGs. Political commitment at the highest level has resulted in the rapid success of the program the report said.
- UNDP has recommended revising a few indicators that are slightly close to reaching their saturation or met by most districts like ‘electrification of households’ as an indicator of basic infrastructure.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: AHRC
Mains level: Housing for All
A Parliamentary panel has asked the government to clarify how many of the 66 proposals received under the Affordable Rental Housing Scheme launched for the urban poor, especially migrant workers, during the COVID-19 pandemic have been approved by their respective local urban bodies.
Affordable Rental Housing Scheme
- AHRC is a sub-scheme under PM Awas Yojana – Urban.
- Under the scheme, existing vacant government-funded housing complexes will be converted in ARHCs through Concession Agreements for 25 years.
- The concessionaire will make the complexes livable by repair/retrofit and maintenance of rooms and filling up infrastructure gaps like water, sewer/ septage, sanitation, road etc.
- States/UTs will select concessionaire through transparent bidding.
- Complexes will revert to ULB after 25 years to restart next cycle like earlier or run on their own.
Beneficiaries of the scheme
- A large part of the workforce in manufacturing industries, service providers in hospitality, health, domestic/commercial establishments, and construction or other sectors, labourers, students etc. who come from rural areas or small towns seeking better opportunities will be the target beneficiary under ARHCs.
Benefits of AHRCs
- Usually, these migrants live in slums, informal/ unauthorized colonies or peri-urban areas to save rental charges.
- They spend a lot of time on roads by walking/ cycling to workplaces, risking their lives to cut on the expenses.
- ARHCs will create a new ecosystem in urban areas making housing available at affordable rent close to the place of work.
- Investment under ARHCs is expected to create new job opportunities.
- ARHCs will cut down unnecessary travel, congestion and pollution.
Back2Basics: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
PMAY-Urban
The PMAY- Urban Programme launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA), in Mission mode envisions provision of Housing for All by 2022. The Mission seeks to address the housing requirement of urban poor including slum dwellers through following programme verticals:
- Slum rehabilitation of Slum Dwellers with participation of private developers using land as a resource
- Promotion of Affordable Housing for weaker section through credit linked subsidy
- Affordable Housing in Partnership with Public & Private sectors
- Subsidy for beneficiary-led individual house construction /enhancement.
PMAY-Rural
- In pursuance to the goal – Housing for all by 2022, the rural housing scheme Indira Awas Yojana has been revamped to Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin and approved during March 2016.
- Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided for construction of a pucca house to all houseless and households living in dilapidated houses.
- It is proposed that one crore households would be provided assistance for construction of pucca house under the project during the period from 2016-17 to 2018-19.
- The scheme would be implemented in rural areas throughout India except for Delhi and Chandigarh. The cost of houses would be shared between the Centre and States.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NFSA, PMGKAY
Mains level: Schemes related to food security
The government discontinued the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and has decided to provide free foodgrains to all 81 crore beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) for one year.
About PMGKAY
- PMGKAY is a food security welfare scheme announced by the GoI in March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
- The program is operated by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
- The scale of this welfare scheme makes it the largest food security program in the world.
Targets of the scheme
- To feed the poorest citizens of India by providing grain through the Public Distribution System to all the priority households (ration card holders and those identified by the Antyodaya Anna Yojana scheme).
- PMGKAY provides 5 kg of rice or wheat (according to regional dietary preferences) per person/month and 1 kg of dal to each family holding a ration card.
Success of the scheme
- Pandemic mitigation: It was the first step by the government when pandemic affected India.
- Wide section of beneficiaries: The scheme reached its targeted population feeding almost 80Cr people.
- Support to migrants: It has proven to be more of a safety net to migrant people who had job and livelihood losses.
- Food and Nutrition security: This has also ensured nutrition security to children of the migrant workers.
Limitations of the scheme
- Corruption: The scheme has been affected by widespread corruption, leakages and failure to distribute grain to the intended recipients.
- Leakages: Out of the 79.25 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), only 55 crore have so far received their 5 kg.
- Inaccessibility: Many people were denied their share due to inability to access ration cards.
- Low consumption: Livelihood losses led to decline in aggregate demand and resulted into lowest ever consumption expenditure by the people owing to scarcity of cash.
- Resale of subsidized grains: This in turn led to selling of the free grains obtained in the local markets for cash.
Back2Basics: National Food Security (NFS) Act
- The NFS Act, 2013 aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people.
- It was signed into law on 12 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013.
- It converts into legal entitlements for existing food security programmes of the GoI.
- It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and the Public Distribution System (PDS).
- Further, the NFSA 2013 recognizes maternity entitlements.
- The Midday Meal Scheme and the ICDS are universal in nature whereas the PDS will reach about two-thirds of the population (75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas).
- Pregnant women, lactating mothers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free cereals.
Key provisions of NFSA
- The NFSA provides a legal right to persons belonging to “eligible households” to receive foodgrains at a subsidised price.
- It includes rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg and coarse grain at Rs 1/kg — under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
- These are called central issue prices (CIPs).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CM Breakfast Scheme
Mains level: Mid-day meal program
This newscard talks for replicating Tamil Nadu’s CM breakfast scheme in other states.
CM’s Breakfast Scheme
- The scheme covers around 1.14 lakh students in 1,545 schools which include 417 municipal corporation schools, 163 municipality schools and 728 taluk and village panchayat-level schools.
- The inauguration of the scheme marks an important milestone in the State’s history of providing free meals to school students.
How has the idea evolved?
(a) Pre-independence
- In November 1920, the Madras Corporation Council approved a proposal for providing tiffin to the students of a Corporation School at Thousand Lights at a cost not exceeding one anna per student per day.
- Theagaraya Chetty, the then President of the Corporation and one of the stalwarts of the Justice Party, said the boys studying at the school were poor, which affected the strength of the institution ‘greatly’.
- The scheme, which was extended to four more schools and facilitated higher enrollment of students.
(b) Post-independence
- The concept saw a Statewide application in 1956 when the then CM K. Kamaraj decided to provide free noon meal to poor children in all primary schools across the State.
- The Budget for 1956-57 contained a provision for supplying mid-day meals to schoolchildren for 200 days a year, initially covering 65,000 students in 1,300 feeding centres.
- In July 1982, it was left to the then CM MG Ramachandran to extend the programme to children in the 2-5 age group in Anganwadis and those in 5-9 age group in primary schools in rural areas.
- Subsequently, the scheme now called Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Nutritious Meal Programme — was extended to urban areas as well.
- Since September 1984, students of standards VI to X have been covered under the scheme.
Beneficiaries of the programme
- As of now, there are nearly 7 lakh beneficiaries spread over 43,190 nutritious meal centres.
- This includes around 3,500 students of National Child Labour Project (NCLP) special schools.
- Besides, as a consequence of the collaborative implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and the nutritious meal programme, around 15.8 lakh children in the age group of 2+ to 5+ years receive nutritious meals.
Impact on school education
- Rise in enrolment: After the improved version of the mid-day meal scheme in 1982, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at primary level (standards I to V) went up by 10% during July-September, 1982 as compared to the corresponding period in 1981.
- Girls’ enrolment: The rise in boys’ enrollment was 12% and in the case of girls, 7%, according to a publication brought out by the Tamil Nadu government on the occasion of the launch of the Scheme.
- Increase in attendance: Likewise, attendance during July-September 1982 rose by 33% over the previous year’s figure.
Focus areas programme
- Anaemia is a major health problem in Tamil Nadu, especially among women and children, says the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5’s report.
- From 50% during the period of the 2015-16 NFHS-4, the prevalence of anaemia in children now went up to 57%.
- This and many other health issues can be addressed through the combined efforts of the departments of School Education, Public Health and Social Welfare and Women Empowerment.
- Besides, a continuous and rigorous review of the progress of the scheme and nutritious meal programme should be carried out in a sustained manner.
Why it can be implemented in other states?
- An interesting feature of this scheme is the cost-effective delivery of the service as it is complementary to the existing schemes.
- Further, the income of the Anganwadi workers substantially increased on account of multiple roles played by them.
- In the same way, the morning breakfast scheme makes use of the physical infrastructure (like cooking place and utensils) built for mid-day meals scheme.
Conclusion
- In other words, with small additional expenditure, the government is able to provide substantial benefits to the children
- The scheme must be extended to all the schools in the state.
- Further, the scheme is worth replicating in other states in India.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MGNREGA
Mains level: Read the attached story
The Central government has constituted a panel to review the implementation and assess efficacy as a poverty alleviation tool of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme.
About the review committee
- The committee is headed by former Rural Development secretary Amarjeet Sinha.
- It had its first meeting on November 21, 2022, and has been given three months to submit its suggestions.
- It is tasked to study the various factors behind demand for MGNREGA work, expenditure trends and inter-State variations, and the composition of work.
- It will suggest what changes in focus and governance structures are required to make MGNREGA more effective.
What is MGNREGA?
- The MGNREGA stands for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005.
- This is labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the ‘Right to Work’.
- The act was first proposed in 1991 by V. Narasimha Rao.
What is so unique about it?
- MGNREGA is unique in not only ensuring at least 100 days of employment to the willing unskilled workers, but also in ensuring an enforceable commitment on the implementing machinery i.e., the State Governments, and providing a bargaining power to the labourers.
- The failure of provision for employment within 15 days of the receipt of job application from a prospective household will result in the payment of unemployment allowance to the job seekers.
- Any Indian citizen above the age of 18 years who resides in rural India can apply for the NREGA scheme. The applicant should have volunteered to do unskilled work.
- Employment is to be provided within 5 km of an applicant’s residence, and minimum wages are to be paid.
- Thus, employment under MGNREGA is a legal entitlement.
Why is MGNREGS under fire these days?
- Not enough work: Bihar despite its levels of poverty, does not generate enough work to make a concrete difference, and on the other end of spectrum we have Kerala which is economically better but has been utilising it for asset creation.
- No asset creation: There is a lack of tangible asset creation. The committee will study if the composition of work taken up presently under the scheme should be changed.
Issues in implementation
- Insufficient budgetary allocations: Increase in the nominal budget but actual budget (after adjusting inflation) decreased over the years.
- Approved Labour Budget Constraints: The Centre through the arbitrary “Approved Labour Budget” has reduced the number of days of work and put a cap on funds through the National Electronic Fund Management System
- Not so attractive wages rate: Currently, MGNREGA wage rates of 17 states are less than the corresponding state minimum wages.
- Delay in wage payments: Under the MGNREGA, a worker is entitled to get his or her due wages within a fortnight of completion of work, failing which the worker is entitled to the compensation.
- No-work situations are rising: None of the states was able to provide full 100 days employment as mentioned in the scheme.
- Data manipulations by authorities: A recent study has found that data manipulation in the MGNREGA is leading to gross violations in its implementation.
- Non-purposive spending and corruptions: Many works sanctioned under MGNREGA often seem to be non-purposive. Quite often, they are politically motivated hotspots to create rampant corruption.
- Centralization weakening local governance: A real-time MIS-based implementation and a centralised payment system has further left the representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions with literally no role in implementation.
Conclusion
- Large scale social security programmes like MGNREA are subjected to undergo several stumbling blocks in the times of ongoing pandemic.
- Government and NGOs must study the impact of MGNREGA in rural areas so as to ensure that this massive anti-poverty scheme is not getting diluted from its actual path.
- We must view MGNREGA as an opportunity and explicitly include it in a broad-based strategy to tackle any socie-economic crisis.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q. Among the following who are eligible to benefit from the “Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee act”?
(a) Adult members of only the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households.
(b) Adult members of below poverty line (BPL) households.
(c) Adult members of households of all backward communities.
(d) Adult members of any household.
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Rythu Bharosa
Mains level: Read the attached story
Ethiopian Agricultural Minister is in Andhra Pradesh (AP) to study the first-of-its-kind Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs).
What are Rythu Bharosa Kendras?
- Set up for the first time in the country, the RBKs are unique seeds-to-sales, single-window service centres for farmers that have been set up across the state.
- They are a one-stop solution to all farmers’ needs and grievances. RBKs sell pre-tested quality seeds, certified fertilisers and animal feed.
- Farmers can purchase or hire farm equipment, and even sell their produce at the prevailing MSP in the RBKs.
- The RBKs provide services like soil testing and make recommendations — on which crops to sow, and quantity and type of fertiliser to be used.
- The state government also pays crop insurance, procures grains and makes payments to farmers through the RBKs.
Have the RBKs proved to be helpful to farmers?
- RBKs facilitate interaction between farmers, agriculture scientists, and agriculture extension officers right at the village level.
- Apart from providing services and items for sale, RBK officials demonstrate new farm equipment and provide training to farmers.
- Based on inputs provided by officials after soil testing and weather conditions, many farmers have changed their cropping patterns and benefited immensely.
- The RBKs have been responsible for elimination of spurious seeds and uncertified and dangerous fertilisers, which can cause crop damage and failures.
- The RBKs, staffed by agriculture and horticulture graduates, help farmers decide the crops they should cultivate in a scientific manner.
How has it been received by the Centre?
- The Centre has recently nominated the RBK concept for the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s “Champion’’ award.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ECLGS Scheme
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Finance has raised the credit limit for airlines under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), making them eligible for a sum equivalent to 100% of their outstanding debt, up to a maximum of ₹1,500 crore.
Boost for Aviation sector
- Earlier, airlines were eligible to borrow up to 50% of their credit outstanding up to ₹400 crore.
- This is the second time the government has liberalized the scheme for the aviation sector.
- The scheme introduced for medium and small enterprises during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was extended till March 2023 and its guarantee cover expanded by ₹50,000 crore to ₹5 lakh crore.
What is ECLGS?
- Under the Scheme, 100% guarantee coverage to be provided by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) for additional funding of up to Rs. 3 lakh crore to eligible MSMEs and interested MUDRA borrowers.
- The credit will be provided in the form of a Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL) facility.
- The Scheme would be applicable to all loans sanctioned under GECL Facility during the period from the date of announcement of the Scheme to 31.10.2020.
Aims and objectives
- The Scheme aims at mitigating the economic distress faced by MSMEs by providing them additional funding in the form of a fully guaranteed emergency credit line.
- The main objective is to provide an incentive to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs), i.e., Banks, Financial Institutions (FIs) and NBFCs to increase access to, and enable the availability of additional funding facility to MSME borrowers.
- It aims to provide a 100 per cent guarantee for any losses suffered by them due to non-repayment of the GECL funding by borrowers.
Salient features of ECGLS
- The entire funding provided under GECL shall be provided with a 100% credit guarantee by NCGTC to MLIs under ECLGS.
- Tenor of the loan under Scheme shall be four years with a moratorium period of one year on the principal amount.
- No Guarantee Fee shall be charged by NCGTC from the Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) under the Scheme.
- Interest rates under the Scheme shall be capped at 9.25% for banks and FIs, and at 14% for NBFCs.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PMGKAY
Mains level: Schemes related to food security
The Union government has extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for another three months from October 1.
What is PMGKAY?
- PMGKAY is a food security welfare scheme announced by the GoI in March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
- The program is operated by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
- The scale of this welfare scheme makes it the largest food security program in the world.
Targets of the scheme
- To feed the poorest citizens of India by providing grain through the Public Distribution System to all the priority households (ration card holders and those identified by the Antyodaya Anna Yojana scheme).
- PMGKAY provides 5 kg of rice or wheat (according to regional dietary preferences) per person/month and 1 kg of dal to each family holding a ration card.
At what rate are food grains provided under the NFSA?
- NFSA beneficiaries are entitled to receive foodgrains at highly subsidised rates.
- Under the food law, rice is provided at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg, and coarse grains at Re 1 per kg.
Why was such a scheme needed?
- The devastation by pandemic has increased manifold in the second wave resulting into localized restrictions and lockdowns from the States.
- This resulted in massive jobs losses in urban areas since the largest employers being construction and hospitality sectors have been completely shut down.
- The virus penetrated deeper in the countryside in rural areas halting almost every sources of livelihood.
- These areas are such where 60% of the income was earned from non-pharm activities. This resulted in livelihood losses of large section of population.
Success of the scheme
- It was the first step by the government when pandemic affected India.
- The scheme reached its targeted population feeding almost 80Cr people.
- It has proven to be more of a safety net to migrant people who had job and livelihood losses.
- This has also ensured nutrition security to children of the migrant workers.
Failures
- The scheme has been affected by widespread corruption, leakages and failure to distribute grain to the intended recipients.
- Several of the states above have claimed that the ineffective distribution has been caused by the beneficiaries, especially migrant workers, not being available to receive their rations.
- Out of the 79.25 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), only 55 crore have so far received their 5 kg.
- However, almost 90% of beneficiaries have received their regular subsidized grain for the month, raising questions over why the free grain has reached fewer beneficiaries.
- Many people were denied their share due to inability to access ration cards.
- Livelihood losses led to decline in aggregate demand and resulted into lowest ever consumption expenditure by the people owing to scarcity of cash.
- This in turn led to selling of the free grains obtained in the local markets for cash.
Way forward
- There should be an all-encompassing database for migrant workers and their family. This should accurately capture the data on migration.
- The One Nation One Ration Card should be implemented in true spirit by all the states.
- Along with food security, there should be a sustainable income support through schemes like MGNREGS accompanied by free vaccines in nearest future.
- The leakages in PDS should be minimized through modernize PDS.
- To avoid leakages, there should be food-token system.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Meal schemes for students
Mains level: Not Much
Tamil Nadu CM has launched the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme for students of Class I to V in government schools.
CM’s Breakfast Scheme
- The scheme covers around 1.14 lakh students in 1,545 schools which include 417 municipal corporation schools, 163 municipality schools and 728 taluk and village panchayat-level schools.
- The inauguration of the scheme marks an important milestone in the State’s history of providing free meals to school students.
How has the idea evolved?
(a) Pre-independence
- In November 1920, the Madras Corporation Council approved a proposal for providing tiffin to the students of a Corporation School at Thousand Lights at a cost not exceeding one anna per student per day.
- Theagaraya Chetty, the then President of the Corporation and one of the stalwarts of the Justice Party, said the boys studying at the school were poor, which affected the strength of the institution ‘greatly’.
- The scheme, which was extended to four more schools and facilitated higher enrollment of students.
(b) Post-independence
- The concept saw a Statewide application in 1956 when the then CM K. Kamaraj decided to provide free noon meal to poor children in all primary schools across the State.
- The Budget for 1956-57 contained a provision for supplying mid-day meals to schoolchildren for 200 days a year, initially covering 65,000 students in 1,300 feeding centres.
- In July 1982, it was left to the then CM MG Ramachandran to extend the programme to children in the 2-5 age group in Anganwadis and those in 5-9 age group in primary schools in rural areas.
- Subsequently, the scheme now called Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Nutritious Meal Programme — was extended to urban areas as well.
- Since September 1984, students of standards VI to X have been covered under the scheme.
Beneficiaries of the programme
- As of now, there are nearly 7 lakh beneficiaries spread over 43,190 nutritious meal centres.
- This includes around 3,500 students of National Child Labour Project (NCLP) special schools.
- Besides, as a consequence of the collaborative implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and the nutritious meal programme, around 15.8 lakh children in the age group of 2+ to 5+ years receive nutritious meals.
Impact on school education
- Rise in enrolment: After the improved version of the mid-day meal scheme in 1982, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at primary level (standards I to V) went up by 10% during July-September, 1982 as compared to the corresponding period in 1981.
- Girls’ enrolment: The rise in boys’ enrollment was 12% and in the case of girls, 7%, according to a publication brought out by the Tamil Nadu government on the occasion of the launch of the Scheme.
- Increase in attendance: Likewise, attendance during July-September 1982 rose by 33% over the previous year’s figure.
Focus areas programme
- Anaemia is a major health problem in Tamil Nadu, especially among women and children, says the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5’s report.
- From 50% during the period of the 2015-16 NFHS-4, the prevalence of anaemia in children now went up to 57%.
- This and many other health issues can be addressed through the combined efforts of the departments of School Education, Public Health and Social Welfare and Women Empowerment.
- Besides, a continuous and rigorous review of the progress of the scheme and nutritious meal programme should be carried out in a sustained manner.
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