Özet:

Food security has been a key developmental objective in India since independence. The genesis of the problem of food security in India can be traced back to the British Raj period, when they only focused on the production of cash crops rather than the food crops. But after independence India immediately address the problem of extreme food shortage by importing wheat and other food items from U.S.A. India encouraged more and more farmers to shift from cash crops to food crops. But the greatest triumph of India over food shortage was the Green Revolution which put emphasis on modern techniques and tools to maximize the food production. But it is a matter of serious concern that even though India produces surplus food grains but there are still millions of people in India who do not have sufficient access to food. The problem of malnutrition and starvation is still acute in India. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), food security exists, when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. It is now well understood that availability of food grains is necessary but not a sufficient condition to ensure food security to the poor. At the same time it is equally important that the poor have sufficient means to purchase food. The public Distribution System is the major food security mechanism of India which supplies food items at administered prices through fair price shops. Central and State Government jointly managed PDS where Central government is responsible for procurement, storage, transportation and allocation. The states are responsible for distribution of food gains, identification of families of below Poverty Line (BPL), issuing cards, supervision and monitoring.

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