Question

Under which programme, the Government decided to give free food grains to about 4 crore beneficiaries for one year from January 1, 2023 ?

• A. Antodaya Yojana
• B. NFSA
• C. TPDS
• D. Revamped TPDS

Hint:

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) covers up to $75\%$ of the rural population and $50\%$ of the urban population under its priority household (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) schemes.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Food security in India is heavily regulated by legislative frameworks designed to ensure that vulnerable populations have continuous, affordable access to essential food grains.
This question focuses on a major policy decision taken by the Central Cabinet in late December 2022 regarding subsidized food grain distribution.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, the government provides highly subsidized food grains to about $35 \text{ crore}$ (4 crore) individuals across the country.
Initially, beneficiaries received rice at Rs $3/\text{kg}$, wheat at Rs $2/\text{kg}$, and coarse grains at Rs $1/\text{kg}$.
In December 2022, the Central Government made a landmark decision to merge the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) with the NFSA.
Under this integrated initiative, the government decided to provide free food grains to all eligible NFSA beneficiaries for one full year starting from January 1, 20
This meant that the subsidized price was reduced to zero, ensuring complete food security without financial burden on the beneficiaries.
While the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) are integral parts of the delivery mechanism under the NFSA, the overarching legislative umbrella under which this free food grain decision was implemented is the NFSA.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Hence, the decision was taken under the NFSA programme, corresponding to option (B).