National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013
A Legal Framework to Ensure Food as a Right
🧭 Purpose and Background
Imagine India as a family—huge, diverse, and with many members still sleeping hungry. Now, what if the Government takes a vow that “no one will sleep hungry anymore”? That is exactly what NFSA, 2013 aims to achieve.
The Act transforms “welfare” into a legal right—meaning, the government is now obligated by law to provide food at subsidized rates to a large portion of the population under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TDPS)
The subsidised rates are called Central Issue Prices/ CIPs
📘 Basic Framework of NFSA
| Feature | Detail |
| Type | Centrally Sponsored Scheme |
| Coverage | 67% of India’s population: 75% rural, 50% urban |
| Legal Entitlement | Yes – Citizens now have a justiciable right to food under law |
| Identification of Beneficiaries | Based on NSSO 2011-12 Household Consumption Survey data |
🔑 Key Highlights / Salient Features
1️⃣ Food Grain Entitlement under TPDS
Let’s decode how much food a family gets and at what price:
✅ Subsidized Prices (CIPs):
| Food Grain | Price (Per kg) |
| Rice | ₹3 |
| Wheat | ₹2 |
| Coarse Grains | ₹1 |
✅ Quantity of Entitlement:
| Household Type | Quantity |
| Priority Households (PHH) | 5 kg per person/month |
| Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) | 35 kg per family/month |
🔎 AAY covers the poorest of the poor, while PHH includes economically weaker sections as defined by State Governments.
2️⃣ Lifecycle-Based Nutritional Support
NFSA doesn’t stop at grains—it covers critical phases of life: Pregnancy, Infancy, Childhood.
| Beneficiaries Covered | Support Provided |
| Pregnant & Lactating Women (PW&LM) | At least ₹6,000 as maternity benefit |
| Children (6 months–14 years) | Free hot cooked meals / take-home rations |
3️⃣ If Food Is Not Provided – What Then?
➡️ Food Security Allowance: If a beneficiary does not receive food, the government must compensate—this ensures accountability.
➡️ Penalty Provisions: State Food Commissions can penalize officials for non-performance.
4️⃣ Grievance Redressal Mechanism
There is a 2-tier system for complaints:
- District Level – Initial complaint
- State Level – Appeals or unresolved issues
➡️ Also includes online registration facilities for easier access.
5️⃣ Women Empowerment
One progressive move:
🧕 Ration cards are issued in the name of the eldest woman in the household (18+ years)—strengthening her legal and household status.
🧂 Sugar Subsidy for AAY Families
While rice/wheat/millets are primary, AAY families also get:
| Item | Quantity & Subsidy |
| Sugar | 1 kg per family/month at subsidized rate |
| Govt Subsidy | ₹18.50/kg by Centre; valid till 31 Mar 2026 |
🏛️ Division of Responsibilities
| Centre | States/UTs |
| Allocates & transports food | Identify eligible households |
| Fixes Central Issue Prices | Issue ration cards |
| Supports logistical systems | Ensure distribution & grievance redressal |
🔧 Recent Reforms / Key Initiatives Linked to NFSA
🔁 One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)
Imagine a migrant worker moving from Bihar to Delhi—ONORC allows him to access his ration anywhere in India.
- Based on Aadhaar biometric authentication
- Ensures portability of entitlements
- Launched in 2018
More on this you can read here
🍛 Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY)
Launched during COVID-19 in 2020, this scheme provided free food grains (in addition to NFSA entitlements) to over 81 crore people.
- Tenure: Now extended up to 2028
- Beneficiaries: All covered under NFSA
🍲 PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal Rebranded)
| Feature | Detail |
| Name | PM POSHAN (formerly Mid-Day Meal) |
| Beneficiaries | Preschool to Class VIII |
| Tenure | 2021–22 to 2025–26 |
| Ministry | Ministry of Education |
Provides nutritious hot meals in government and aided schools.
🌼 Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0
| Feature | Details |
| Purpose | Combat malnutrition among children, women, etc. |
| Tenure | 2021–22 to 2025–26 |
| Ministry | MoWCD (Women & Child Development) |
| Note | Merges multiple older schemes for synergy |
🤰 Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
A Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme for Mothers
Note: Nodal Ministry is Ministry of Women and Child Development
🎯 Objective
To compensate wage loss and encourage maternal care among working-class pregnant and lactating mothers.
📅 Timeline
| Feature | Description |
| Launched | 2017 |
| Integrated Into | Mission Shakti in 2022 (under sub-scheme Samarthya) |
👩🍼 Eligibility
| Criteria | Condition |
| Age | Minimum 19 years |
| Sector | Unorganised / informal sector |
| Parity | First child (core benefit), extended to 2nd girl child under PMMVY 2.0 |
💰 Benefit Structure
PMMVY 1.0
| Component | Amount |
| Maternity Benefit | ₹5,000 |
| Janani Suraksha Yojana | ₹1,000 |
| Total | ₹6,000 |
PMMVY 2.0
- Additional ₹6,000 for second girl child
- Aimed at gender equity and female child promotion
✔️ Conditions to Avail Benefit
To ensure active health-seeking behavior, benefits are conditional upon:
- Early pregnancy registration
- Completion of ante-natal checkups
- Childbirth registration and immunization
🔚 Conclusion
NFSA is not just a scheme—it’s a social contract. A promise by the State to its people: “We shall not let you starve.”
With its wide coverage, lifecycle-based support, legal accountability, and empowering reforms like ONORC, PMMVY, and PM Poshan, the Act plays a foundational role in India’s welfare architecture—especially relevant in the GS-2 syllabus under Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections.