Social Studies Question(1 Marks)

The rationing system was revived in the wake of an acute food shortage during the 1960s prior to the Green Revolution.

The PDS has proved to be the most effective instrument of government policy over the years in stabilising prices and making food available to the poor at affordable prices.

The co-operative societies, run by the local people, provide people the basic necessities of life such as foodgrains, milk, vegetables, etc. at reasonable rates.

Mother Dairy, Amul two examples of co-operatives.

FCI stands for Food Corporation of India.

Food security means availability, accessibility and affordability of food to all people at all times.

Availability of food means food production within the country, accessibility means food within reach of every person and affordability is that an individual has enough money to buy sufficient safe food.

Seasonal hunger is prevalent in rural areas because of the seasonal nature of agricultural activities.

Grain Banks are developing in different parts of Maharashtra.

The states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra account for the largest number of food insecure people in the country.

The storage of massive food stocks has been responsible for high carrying costs, in addition to wastage and deterioration in grain quality.

The states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra account for largest number of food insecure people in the country.

Poverty Alleviation Programmes (PAPs) such as PDS, mid-day meals, etc., are exclusively food security programmes. Most of these PAPs are meant for rural areas and enhance food security.

Under this act, 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population have been categorised as eligible households for food security.

Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and the northeastern states lagged behind in food production, despite Green Revolution.

West Bengal and UP, recorded significant production of rice 15.75 and 12.51 Million tonnes in 2015–16 respectively.

Hunger has two dimensions i.e. Chronic and Seasonal.

Right to Food Act, 2013.

A famine is characterised by widespread deaths due to starvation and epidemics caused by forced use of contaminated water or decaying food and loss by body resistance due to weakening from starvation.

ICDS stands for Integrated Child Development Services.

India has become self-sufficient in food grains during the last thirty years because of a variety of crops grown all over the country.

Ration shops or Fair Price shops keep stock of foodgrains, sugar and kerosene oil for cooking.

Since the advent of the Green Revolution in the early 1970s, the country has avoided famine even during adverse weather conditions. This is the most significant achievement of this revolution.

'Accessibility' means food is within reach of every person.

The minimum support prices and procurement has contributed to an increase in food grain production and provided income security to farmers in certain regions.

The 'poorest of the poor' and 'indigent senior citizens' were the special target groups of AAY and APS.

Employment programmes contribute to food security by increasing the income of the poor.

Amartya Sen added a new dimension to food security.

Minimum Support Price is the minimum price of foodgrains which is declared by the government every year before the sowing season to provide incentives to the farmers for raising the product of crops like rice and wheat.

Issue Price is the price at which government distributes foodgrains in the deficit areas and among the poorer strata of society.

Instances of hunger are prevalent despite overflowing granaries. FCI godowns are overflowing with grains, with some rotting away and some being eaten by rats.

Food security depends on the Public Distribution System (PDS). At times when this security is threatened, it depends on government vigilance and action.

The famine of Bengal in 1943 was the most devastating famine which killed thirty lakh people in the province of Bengal.

1. Chronic hunger.
2. Seasonal hunger.

Affordability implies that an individual has enough money to buy sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet one's dietary needs.

Anand Milk Union Limited or Amul is an Indian cooperative dairy company, based at Anand in the state of Gujarat.

The rationing system was introduced in India in 1940s, after the disastrous Bengal famine occurred.

1. Antyodaya cards for the poorest of the poor.
2. BPL cards for those below poverty line.
3. APL cards for all others.

1. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
2. Food For Work (FFW).

PDS dealers are sometimes found resorting to malpractices like diverting the grains to open market to get better margins, selling poor quality grains at ration shops, irregular opening of the shops, etc.

Kalahandi and Kashipur.

The agricultural labourers, fishermen, transport workers and other casual labourers were affected the most by dramatically increasing price of rice.

Ration Shops, also known as Fair Price Shops, keep stocks of foodgrains, sugar, kerosene oil, etc. These items are sold to people at a price lower than the market price.

The worst affected groups are landless people with little or no land to depend upon, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty selfemployed workers and destitute including beggars.

Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, officially recorded the impressive strides of the Green Revolution in agriculture by releasing a special stamp entitled ‘Wheat Revolution’ in July 1968. Punjab and Haryana achieved the highest rate of growth in the production of wheat.

Seasonal hunger is related to cycles of food production. This happens in rural areas because of the seasonal nature of agricultural activities and in urban areas because of the casual labourers, who get less work during rainy season.

The SCs, STs and some sections of OBCs who have either poor land base or very low land productivity are prone to food insecurity.

Eastern and South Eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are food insecure states of India.

India has become self-sufficient in foodgrains during the last 30 years because of a variety of crops grown all over the country.