NCERT Solutions for Class 9

Social Science (Economics)

Chapter 4 – Food Security in India

1. How is food security ensured in India?

Ans: Food security in India is ensured, when three dimensions of food security are
taken care of. The three dimensions are:
i. Availability of food – Presence of enough food for each and every citizen.
ii. Accessibility of food – When there is no barrier on access to food.
iii. Affordability of food – The Capability of all persons to buy quality food.

2. Which are the people more prone to food insecurity?

Ans: A large section of people suffer from insecurity of food and nutrition in India.
The worst affected groups are:
● In rural parts, traditional artists, traditional services providers, landless, beggars
and self-employed workers.
● People who are employed in ill-paid occupations and labourers engaged in
seasonal activities (in the urban areas).
● People who belong to the backward sections of society, SCs, STs and OBCs.
● People who belong to economically-backward states with high incidence of
poverty, tribal and remote areas and regions which are more prone to natural
disasters.
● People who are affected from natural disasters have to migrate to some area for
work.
● Many pregnant and nursing mothers, and children under the age of 5 years.

3. Which states are more food insecure in India?

Ans: There are many economically-backward states with high poverty and more
food insecure in India. The states like Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh (eastern and south-
eastern parts), Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, some parts of Madhya Pradesh,
Bihar and Maharashtra have the highest number of food insecure people in India.

4. Do you believe that the green revolution has made India self-sufficient in food
grains? How?
Ans: The Green Revolution was introduced in the 1960s, so that Indian farmers can
cultivate (HYVs) of seeds. The HYVs which are coupled with chemical fertilisers
and pesticides has led to a growth in the productivity of food grains, helping India
to attain self-sufficiency in food grains. Because of the Green Revolution, India has
avoided famine, during adverse weather conditions.

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5. A section of people in India are still without food. Explain?
Ans: Despite a large increase in food grain production, we find people without food
in India. Poor people suffer from chronic hunger. They find themselves unable to
buy food. More than one-fifth of the country’s population suffers from chronic
hunger.

6. What happens to the supply of food when there is a disaster or a calamity?

Ans: When disaster or a calamity occurs, then the production of food grains
decreases in the affected areas, which creates a shortage of food in the area. Since
there is a food shortage, the prices go up. The raised prices of food affect the capacity
of common people to buy the same. When the calamity occurs in a very wide spread
area or for over a long period of time, it may cause a situation of starvation. A
massive starvation has the capability to take the form of a famine.

7. Differentiate between seasonal hunger and chronic hunger?

Ans:
Seasonal hunger
Seasonal hunger is basically
associated with cycles of food
growing and harvesting, this is
prevalent in rural areas because of the
seasonal nature of agricultural
activities and in urban areas because
of the casual labour.
For example: There is less or no
work for construction labour during
the rainy season.
Chronic hunger
Chronic hunger is caused due to
inadequate consequences of diets,
persistently in terms of quality and
quantity.
For example: Poor suffer from
chronic hunger, because they have
very low income which results in the
inability to buy food for survival.

8. What has our government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss
any two schemes launched by the government?
Ans: Food security is ensured by the Government of India, by a carefully designed
food security system. This system is consisting of two components:
(a) Having and maintain a Buffer Stock of food grains,
(b) Distribution of these food grains among the poorer sections of the society with
the help of a Public Distribution System (PDS).
The Government has launched several Poverty Alleviation Programmes (PAP) that
includes a component of food security. Some of these programmes are – Food-For-
Work (FFW), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), and Mid-Day Meals etc.
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Two schemes launched by the Government of India to provide food security are:
● Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): In December 2000, this scheme was launched.
Under this, one crore of the poorer among the Below Poverty Line families,
covered by the Public Distribution System (PDS) were identified. 25 Kg of food
grains were made available to each of the eligible families at a highly subsidized
rate. The quantity was enhanced from 25 kg to 35 kg, almost after 2 years. In June
2003, and August 2004 respectively, 50 lakh families were added by the
government to this scheme twice.
● Food for Work (FFW): In November 2004 this programme was launched, for 150
most backward districts of the country. The main objective of this scheme was to
focus on the identification of the generation of supplementary wage employment.
This scheme is for all rural poor who are willing to do unskilled labour. In return
for their work, the workers are supplied food grains or money as they like.

9. Why buffer stock is created by the government?

Ans: A buffer stock, is a reserve of food grains that is created by the government to
distribute the food grains in the food-deficit areas and among the poorer section of
society at a price which is very lower than the market price. A buffer stock helps
resolve the problem of shortage of food during periods of calamity or adverse
weather conditions.

10. Write notes on:

(a) Minimum support price
Ans: Minimum Support Price (MSP) – This is the price at which the government
purchases food grains, wheat and rice specifically from the farmer to create a buffer
stock. MSP is announced by the government every year before the sowing season in
order to give incentive to the farmers so that there is a raise in the production of the
desired crop. The growth in the MSPs, led to the rise in maintenance cost of gaining
food grains by both the government and the farmers.

(b) Buffer stock

Ans: Buffer Stock – Food grains stock is called buffer stock, specially the wheat and
rice that the government gets from the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Those states
which have these cereals in surplus, the FCI tend to buy these grains directly from
the farmers. The food grains purchased, are kept in big granaries and are called
Buffer Stock. Concept of buffer stock is a step taken by the Government of India, to
ensure food security in the country.

(c) Issue price

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Ans: Issue Price – To help the poor section of the society, the Government of India
provides them food grains from the buffer stock at a price which is much lower than
the market price. This subsidized price is known as the Issue Price.

(d) Fair price shops

Ans: Fair Price Shops – The food grains collected by the government through FCI
is distributed through ration shops to the poor section of the society. The Ration
Shops provide food grains to the poor people through these shops at a reasonable
price compared to the market price which is very high. Those families who have a
ration card can get a specific amount of sugar, food grains, kerosene etc. every month
from the ration shop at a fair price.

11. What are the problems of the functioning of ration shops?

Ans: There are many problems related to functioning of ration shops:
● There are a large number of homeless poor who fail to get ration from these shops.
Since, ration cards are issued only to those people who have their proper
residential addresses.
● The owners of ration shops sell ration in the open market at higher prices.
● At times, shopkeepers make wrong entries in the ration cards.

12. Write a note on the role of cooperatives in providing food and related items.
Ans: The cooperatives play an important role, particularly in the southern and
western parts of the country, as far as food security is concerned in India. The
cooperative societies have set up shops to sell goods to the poor people at reasonable
prices. For example, most of the fair price shops operating in Tamil Nadu, 94% are
being run by the cooperatives. In Delhi, Mother Dairy provides milk and vegetables
to the people at affordable rate, the rates are already decided by Delhi Government.
This has brought the White Revolution in the country. There are many cooperatives
and NGOs which are working intensively in this direction.

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