Class 9 Economics • Food Security in India
Food Security in India Class 9: Notes, MCQs & Questions and Answers
A structured study resource covering food security, hunger, self-sufficiency, buffer stock, Minimum Support Price (MSP), the Public Distribution System (PDS), food procurement, the Green Revolution and the role of cooperatives.
50 MCQsCompact practice questions with answers.
NCERT QuestionsTextbook-based questions and answers preserved from the source.
Concept RevisionFood availability, accessibility, affordability, hunger and PDS.
Curriculum note: This page preserves and improves the older NCERT Class 9 Economics Food Security in India resource. The 2025–26 CBSE Class IX syllabus included this chapter, while CBSE's 2026–27 Class IX curriculum is a new curriculum cycle. Use this page as a legacy NCERT study resource unless your school has confirmed that this chapter remains in your current Grade 9 course.
Quick Revision Notes
What is food security?
Food security has three closely connected dimensions: availability of food, accessibility of food and affordability of food. A food-secure system therefore needs adequate supplies as well as people having the means to obtain nutritious food.
Who is more vulnerable to food insecurity?
The source identifies landless and small farmers, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty self-employed workers and beggars among groups vulnerable to food insecurity. Urban casual workers and people in poorly paid seasonal employment can also face insecurity.
Chronic hunger and seasonal hunger
Chronic hunger is associated with persistently inadequate food intake, often linked to very low income. Seasonal hunger is linked to periods when work or income is unavailable, especially in seasonal agricultural employment.
Green Revolution and self-sufficiency
The Green Revolution relied heavily on HYV seeds, irrigation and modern agricultural inputs and contributed especially to increased wheat and rice production. The current NCERT text notes that India has avoided famine since the early 1970s despite adverse weather and reports foodgrain production of 310 million tonnes in 2020–21 and 315 million tonnes in 2021–22.
Buffer stock, MSP and PDS
The government procures foodgrains at announced support prices, maintains stocks and distributes foodgrains through the public distribution system. MSP is linked to procurement incentives for farmers; buffer stock provides a reserve; and PDS helps distribute essential foodgrains through fair-price shops.
Role of cooperatives
Cooperatives can support food security through distribution and community-level initiatives. The original source highlights examples such as Mother Dairy, Amul and grain-bank initiatives.
Historical-data warning: Many of the original 50 MCQs and older answers use 2000s-era scheme names, prices, quantities, population groups and statistics. They are retained as part of the legacy question bank, but those figures should not be treated as current government rates or current demographic statistics. The current NCERT text uses updated foodgrain data.
50 MCQs on Food Security in India
Practice the full legacy question bank below. Each question is presented as a compact card for faster revision.
1. MSP refers to:
A. Minimum Support Price
B. Maximum Support Price
C. Marginal Support Price
D. None of the above
Answer: A. Minimum Support Price
2. The worst affected groups in rural areas facing food insecurity are:
A. Landless people
B. Traditional artisans
C. Beggars
D. All the above
Answer: D. All the above
3. Green Revolution in the 1960s was associated with:
A. Use of HYV seeds
B. Tree plantation programme
C. Fisheries development
D. None of the above
Answer: A. Use of HYV seeds
4. Public Distribution System is associated with:
A. Fair price shops
B. Cooperative stores
C. Super bazaars
D. None of the above
Answer: A. Fair price shops
5. Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS) aimed to provide benefits to:
A. Cities
B. Remote and backward areas
C. Self-help groups
D. Cooperative societies
Answer: B. Remote and backward areas
6. White Revolution of the country is associated with:
A. Sugar
B. Milk
C. Paper
D. None of the above
Answer: B. Milk
7. Annapurna Scheme (APS) meets the food requirements of:
A. Indigent senior citizens
B. Children
C. Pregnant ladies
D. Young persons
Answer: A. Indigent senior citizens
8. Antyodaya cards are related to
A. All poor
B. Poorest of the poor
C. Persons below poverty line
D. None of the above
Answer: B. Poorest of the poor
9. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Annapurna Scheme (APS) are linked with:
A. Public distribution system
B. Mid-day meal
C. Special nutrition programme
D. None of the above
Answer: A. Public distribution system
10. Under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) food grains given per family per month are:
A. 40 kg
B. 35 kg
C. 25 kg
D. 20 kg
Answer: B. 35 kg
11. In which state 94% ration shops are run by cooperatives
A. Andhra Pradesh
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Orissa
D. Bihar
Answer: B. Tamil Nadu
12. Average consumption of PDS grains per person per month at all India level is:
A. 1 kg
B. 4 kg
C. 300 gm
D. 500 gm
Answer: A. 1 kg
13. The society which facilitated setting up of grain banks in different regions is:
A. Amul (Gujarat)
B. Academy of Development Science (Maharashtra)
C. Mother Dairy (Delhi)
D. None of the above
Answer: B. Academy of Development Science (Maharashtra)
14. Minimum Support Price (MSP) is announced by the government to provide:
A. Incentives to farmers for raising production
B. Incentives to traders to earn maximum profit from farmers
C. Incentives to moneylenders to lend maximum to farmers
D. None of the above
Answer: A. Incentives to farmers for raising production
15. Seasonal hunger occurs in:
A. Urban areas
B. Rural areas
C. Metro cities
D. Both (a) and (b)
Answer: B. Rural areas
16. Which crop registered the largest increase in production as a result of Green Revolution?
A. Wheat
B. Rice
C. Maize
D. None of the above
Answer: A. Wheat
17. Main purpose of buffer stock scheme is:
A. To save food grains from pest attack
B. To stop price fluctuations
C. To meet the crisis of low production
D. Both (b) and (c)
Answer: D. Both (b) and (c)
18. Under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), subsidized rate for wheat is:
A. Rs 3/- per kg
B. Rs 2/- per kg
C. Rs 4/- per kg
D. Rs 5/- per kg
Answer: B. Rs 2/- per kg
19. Food security means:
A. Availability of food
B. Accessibility of food
C. Affordability of food
D. All the above
Answer: D. All the above
20. Massive starvation takes place due to:
A. Rise in the price of essential commodities
B. Decline in production of food grains
C. Drought
D. Both (a) and (b)
Answer: C. Drought
21. Chronic hunger refers to:
A. Low income
B. Inadequate quantity of food
C. Inadequate quality of food
D. All the above
Answer: D. All the above
22. The most devastating famine occurred in India in 1943 in:
A. Assam
B. Bengal
C. Bihar
D. Orissa
Answer: B. Bengal
23. In which of the following states do we find the largest number of food insecure people?
A. Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa
B. Bihar, Jharkhand and Gujarat
C. Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Tamilnadu
D. Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka
Answer: A. Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa
24. In which state of India, Amul Dairy is situated?
A. Rajasthan
B. Gujarat
C. Karnataka
D. Bihar
Answer: B. Gujarat
25. Who released a special stamp entitled ‘Wheat Revolution’ in July 1968?
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Indira Gandhi
C. Jawaharlal Nehru
D. Motilal Nehru
Answer: B. Indira Gandhi
26. The price that is announced before the sowing season is called:
A. Issue price
B. Fair price
C. Market price
D. Minimum support price
Answer: D. Minimum support price
27. To whom the yellow card is issued?
A. To shop keeper
B. To land lord's
C. To government employee
D. People below the poverty line
Answer: D. People below the poverty line
28. Which are the special target groups in Antyodaya Anna Yojana?
A. Poorest of the poor
B. Poor and non-poor
C. Backward class
D. None of these
Answer: A. Poorest of the poor
29. Food for Work Programme was launched in which of the following years?
A. 2003
B. 2001
C. 2004
D. 2005
Answer: C. 2004
30. Kalahandi is situated in which of the following states?
A. Orissa
B. Punjab
C. Rajasthan
D. Bihar
Answer: A. Orissa
31. The Mother Dairy is an important cooperative in
A. Gujarat
B. Punjab
C. Haryana
D. Delhi
Answer: D. Delhi
32. Women and children under the age of five are food insecure population due to:
A. Malnutrition
B. Healthy diet
C. Fats
D. None of the above
Answer: A. Malnutrition
33. F.C.I. stands for
A. Foreign Co-operation with India
B. Food Corporation of India
C. Fossils Corporation of India
D. Food Coming to India
Answer: B. Food Corporation of India
34. Which among the following schemes was started in the year 2000 for the indigent senior citizens?
A. PDS
B. NFWP
C. SGSY
D. APS
Answer: D. APS
35. Name the cooperative that provides milk and vegetables controlled rate decided by the Government of Delhi:
A. Amul
B. Kendriya Bhandar
C. Mother Dairy
D. None of these
Answer: C. Mother Dairy
36. Which among the following schemes was initiated for the poor in all areas?
A. TPDS
B. RPDS
C. AAY
D. All of these
Answer: D. All of these
37. Buffer stock is the stock of food grains procured by the government through
A. IFCI
B. FCI
C. IDBI
D. FICCI
Answer: B. FCI
38. In which part of the country, grain banks have been set up by NGO's?
A. Gujarat
B. Haryana
C. Punjab
D. Maharashtra
Answer: D. Maharashtra
39. When was the Antyodaya Anna Yojana scheme launched?
A. In Jan 1999
B. In May 2000
C. In Dec 2000
D. In October 2005
Answer: C. In Dec 2000
40. Percentage of seasonal as well as chronic hunger in India over the years has
A. Increased
B. Decreased
C. Remained constant
D. None of these
Answer: B. Decreased
41. The concept of ‘entitlements’ was introduced by:
A. Pranab Mukharjee
B. Amartya Sen
C. Manmohan Singh
D. Sonia Gandhi
Answer: B. Amartya Sen
42. Which institution was set up by Maharashtra Academy of Development Science to facilitate a network of NGO's?
A. Gramin banks
B. Grain banks
C. Co-operative banks
D. Commercial banks
Answer: B. Grain banks
43. Who is the nodal officer at district level?
A. Commissioner
B. Superintendent of police
C. District officer
D. Collector
Answer: D. Collector
44. In year 2000 which of the following programmes was launched?
A. APS
B. NREGA
C. PDS
D. PMGY
Answer: A. APS
45. In which of the following years was the food grain stock with the FCI the maximum?
A. 2001
B. 2009
C. 2002
D. 2000
Answer: C. 2002
46. Which are the two places in Orissa where starvation deaths are reported?
A. Kalahandi and Puri
B. Kashipur and Bhubaneshwar
C. Kalahandi and Kashipur
D. Puri and Bhubaneshwar
Answer: C. Kalahandi and Kashipur
47. Which of the following places of Jharkhand witnessed starvation death recently?
A. Dhanbad
B. Ranchi
C. Palamau
D. Puri
Answer: C. Palamau
48. In which year was the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) introduced?
A. 1965
B. 1975
C. 1985
D. 1995
Answer: B. 1975
49. NREGA provides:
A. 200-days of assured work
B. 100-days of assured work
C. No assured work
D. None of the above
Answer: B. 100-days of assured work
50. In which decades was the Rationing System introduced in India?
A. 1940s
B. 1950s
C. 1960s
D. 1970s
Answer: A. 1940s
NCERT Textbook Questions
Question 1: Ramu and Seasonal Employment
(a) Why is agriculture a seasonal activity?
Answer: Agriculture is a seasonal occupation because farm work depends on the agricultural cycle, so agricultural labour is not available throughout the year.
(b) Why is Ramu unemployed for about four months in a year?
Answer: Ramu works as a casual agricultural labourer and gets work mainly during sowing, transplanting and harvesting. He remains unemployed during the gap between these activities.
(c) What does Ramu do when he is unemployed?
Answer: He looks for work in other activities such as construction and brick laying in the village.
(d) Who supplements income in Ramu’s family?
Answer: Other family members also contribute through farm and household work, helping to supplement the family income.
(e) Why does Ramu face difficulty when he is unable to get work?
Answer: He has little or no savings to spend on his family when he does not get work.
(f) When is Ramu food insecure?
Answer: He is food insecure during the months when he remains unemployed and cannot secure sufficient income.
Question 2: Ahmed and the Public Distribution System
(a) Does Ahmed have a regular income from rickshaw-pulling?
Answer: No. Ahmed’s earnings from rickshaw-pulling fluctuate from day to day.
(b) How does the yellow card help Ahmed run his family even with small earnings from rickshaw-pulling?
Answer: The yellow card helps him obtain essential items through the ration system at prices lower than those in the open market, making it easier to manage his family with small earnings.
Question 3: Food-Grain Production in India
Graph 4.1: Production of Food Grains in India (Million Tonnes), sourced from the Economic Survey 2004–05. These answers are historical graph-based exercise answers from the legacy source.
(a) In which year did India cross the 200 million tonnes per year mark in food-grain production?
Answer: The legacy source gives 2001–02 (212.9 million tonnes) and 2003–04 (213.5 million tonnes).
(b) In which decade did India experience the highest decadal increase in food-grain production?
Answer: During 1980–81 to 1990–91.
(c) Is production increase consistent in India since 2000–01?
Answer: No, according to the graph used in the legacy exercise.
Question 4: Food-Grain Stock and Buffer Stock Norm
Graph 4.2: Central Food Grains (Wheat + Rice) Stock and Minimum Buffer Norm (Million Tonnes). These figures are historical graph-based exercise answers from the legacy source.
(1) In which recent year was food-grain stock with the government maximum?
Answer: In 2002.
(2) What is the minimum buffer stock norm for the FCI?
Answer: 24.3 million tonnes.
(3) Why were the FCI granaries overflowing with food grains?
Answer: The legacy source explains that poor people were not able to buy enough food, contributing to high stocks.
Important Questions & Answers
1. How is food security ensured in India?
Availability: Food must be available in adequate quantity.
Accessibility: People must be able to obtain food without barriers.
Affordability: People must have enough purchasing power to buy sufficient, safe and nutritious food.
2. Which are the people more prone to food insecurity?
Answer: The people more prone to food insecurity include landless or land-poor households, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty self-employed workers and beggars. Urban casual workers and people in poorly paid seasonal occupations can also be vulnerable.
3. Which states are more food insecure in India?
Answer: The legacy NCERT source identifies Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra among areas with greater food insecurity. This is a historical textbook description and should not be treated as a current ranking of states.
4. Do you believe that Green Revolution has made India self-sufficient in food grains? How?
Answer: Yes. The Green Revolution, especially the use of HYV seeds, irrigation and modern agricultural inputs, substantially increased food-grain production, particularly wheat and rice. The current NCERT text notes that India has avoided famine since the early 1970s and reports total foodgrain production of 310 million tonnes in 2020–21 and 315 million tonnes in 2021–22.
5. A section of people in India are still without food. Explain.
Answer: Food insecurity can persist even when national foodgrain production is high. Poverty, low purchasing power and barriers to access can prevent people from obtaining sufficient nutritious food. Vulnerability can also increase during calamities and among people dependent on insecure or seasonal work.
6. What happens to the supply of food when there is a disaster or a calamity?
Answer: A disaster such as drought can reduce food production and supplies in affected areas. Shortages may push prices upward, making food harder for poor households to afford; a severe, widespread crisis can lead to hunger or starvation.
7. Differentiate between seasonal hunger and chronic hunger.
Answer: Seasonal hunger occurs during periods when work or income is unavailable, such as the agricultural off-season. Chronic hunger is persistent and is generally linked to inadequate food intake over a longer period, often because of very low income or limited access to food.
8. What has our government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss any two schemes launched by the government.
Answer: The current NCERT chapter describes a food-security system built around buffer stock and the Public Distribution System (PDS). It also lists programmes such as Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Food-for-Work (FFW), Mid-Day Meals and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). In an exam answer, explain any two by stating their purpose and contribution to food security.
9. Why is buffer stock created by the government?
Answer: Buffer stock helps maintain food availability during shortages or adverse conditions and supports distribution to poorer sections through the food-security system. Government procurement also supports farmers through the announced support-price mechanism.
10. Write notes on: (a) Minimum Support Price (b) Buffer Stock (c) Issue Price (d) Fair Price Shops
Answer: Minimum Support Price (MSP): A pre-announced support price intended to encourage production and procurement from farmers. Buffer Stock: Foodgrain reserves maintained by the government for food security and emergencies. Issue Price: The price at which procured foodgrains are supplied through the public distribution system. Fair Price Shops: Government-regulated outlets through which eligible consumers obtain specified essential food items under the PDS.
11. What are the problems of the functioning of ration shops?
Answer: Problems described in the legacy source include exclusion of some vulnerable households, diversion or leakage of ration into the open market and fraudulent or incorrect entries. These issues can reduce the effectiveness of the PDS.
12. Write a note on the role of cooperatives in providing food and related items.
Answer: Cooperatives can support food security by helping distribute essential goods and organising community-level initiatives. The NCERT chapter recognises the role of cooperatives and NGOs alongside government measures; examples in the chapter include Mother Dairy, Amul and grain-bank initiatives.
Short Answer Questions
1. What are the essentials of food security system?
Answer: Essentials of Food Security System are the following: a. Increasing domestic production of food to meet its growing demand b. Food should be available in adequate quantity as well as to meet nutritional requirements c. Food should be available at reasonable prices d. Buffer stock of food should be maintained
2. How is food security affected during a natural calamity?
Answer: In the times of any natural calamity, say a drought, total production of food grains declines. It creates a shortage of food, particularly in the affected areas. Due to shortage of food, the prices go up in the market. At high prices, poor people may not afford to buy food. If such a calamity occurs in a large area, it may lead to starvation.
3. Why is there need for self-sufficiency in food grains in India?
Answer: Need for self-sufficiency in food grains arises from the following: (i) To feed growing population (ii) To fight against any natural calamity (iii) To reduce import of food grains (iv) To control prices of food grains
4. The task of attaining self-sufficiency in food grains in future seems to be difficult. Give two reasons in support of this statement.
Answer: The task of attaining self-sufficiency in food grains in future seems to be difficult in India. It is because: (i) There has been a gradual shift from cultivation of food crops to cultivation of fruits, vegetables, oil seeds and crops which act as industrial raw materials. (ii) More and more land is being used for construction of factories, residential buildings, etc.
5. Mention two objectives of PDS.
Answer: Two Objectives of PDS: (i) To provide essential goods at subsidized prices to the consumers. (ii) To control prices of essential commodities.
6. Why is procurement of food grains done in India?
Answer: The government procures food grains at pre-announced prices to provide incentives to farmers for raising the production of crops. The food procured by the government is distributed among the poorer section of the society through fair price shops at subsidized prices.
7. Mention two reasons behind excessive buffer stocks of food grains.
Answer: Two Reasons for Excessive Buffer Stock: (i) There has been increase in minimum support price. (ii) The off take of food grains under PDS has been declining.
8. State two consequences of the excess reserves of food grains in India.
Answer: Two Consequences of Excessive Buffer Stock: (i) It has raised economic costs i.e. cost incurring for procuring, storing and distribution of food grains. (ii) It has adversely affected the food grain prices.
9. Mention two measures undertaken by the government to reduce the stock of food grains.
Answer: Measures to Reduce Buffer Stock: (i) Open sale at prices much below the economic cost. (ii) Increase in BPL allocation from 28 kg to 35 kg per month per family.
10. What is the Public Distribution System?
Answer: Public Distribution System The Food Corporation of India procures food at pre-announced prices. The state governments distribute food grains to poor through ration shops at subsidized prices fixed by the government. This is called the Public Distribution System. There are about 4.6 lakh ration shops all over the country. Ration shops are also known as fair price shops.
11. How cooperatives are helpful in food security?
Answer: Role of cooperatives in providing food security: In many parts of India, the cooperative societies set up their own cooperatives to supply food grains and different items at cheaper rates. Following are the examples: (i) In Tamil Nadu 94% of ration shops are run by cooperatives. (ii) In Delhi, the Mother Dairy is supplying milk and milk products like butter, ghee etc. to the people at much subsidized rates. (iii) In Gujarat, Amul is doing the same job of supplying milk and milk products to people at much cheaper rates. It is being run by cooperatives. It has brought 'White Revolution' in India.
12. Why is food security essential? How food security is affected during disaster?
Answer: Need of food security: The poorest section of the society might be food-insecure most of the times, while persons above poverty lines might also be food insecure when the country faces national disaster. Due to natural calamity, say drought, total production of food grain decreases. It creates a shortage of food in affected areas. Due to shortage of food, the prices go up. At higher prices, some people cannot buy food. So food security is essential.
13. State three dimensions of food security.
Answer: Three dimensions of food security: (i) Availability of food: There should be enough stocks of food items in the country through good production, through imports or previous year's stock stored in government godowns. (ii) Accessibility of food: Food should be within the reach of everybody. (iii) Affordability of food: The prices of different food articles should be such that every individual is able to buy them. The food grain items should be within the reach of the people.
14. Why has Public Distribution System been criticized? Explain any three reasons.
Answer: (i) Market ineffectiveness of PDS: Average consumption of PDS grain at all India is only 1 kg per person per month. Average consumption figure in the states of Bihar, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh is only 300 gms, while in states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu this figure is 3-4 kg per person per month. As a result, the poor has to depend on markets rather than ration shops. (ii) With the introduction of three types of cards and three different prices for the same articles to the different people, the whole system of Public Distribution System has become much effective. (iii) PDS dealer’s malpractices: The ration shop dealers resort to malpractices. They divert the grains to the open market to get a better margin.
15. What is the difference between chronic and seasonal hunger? Write any two.
Answer: Chronic Hunger: When diet is inadequate in terms of quantity or quality, it is called chronic hunger. Usually poor people suffer from chronic hunger because of their low income and as a result their inability to buy food even for their survival. This type of hunger is more or less of a permanent nature and presents throughout the year. Seasonal Hunger: Seasonal hunger persists only during a particular period of the season. It is linked with the cycles of food growing and harvesting. In rural areas, the seasonal hunger is prevalent because of the seasonal nature of agricultural activities. The gap between the sowing season and the reaping season is marked by seasonal hunger.
16. Which are the people more prone to food insecurity? Explain.
Answer: The people worst affected by food insecurity in India are landless labourers, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services and destitute including beggars. In the urban areas, the food insecure people are those whose working members are generally employed in ill-paid occupations and casual labour market. These workers are largely engaged in seasonal activities and are paid very low wages that just ensure bare survival.
17. Describe briefly the measures adopted to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains since Independence.
Answer: After Independence, Indian policy makers adopted all measures to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains. India adopted a new strategy in agriculture which resulted in Green Revolution especially in the production of wheat and rice.
18. What steps have been taken by the Government of India to provide food security to the poor? Explain any three.
Answer: To provide food security to the poor following steps have been taken by the Government of India: (i) PDS: - Public Distribution System (PDS) was established for the distribution of food grains among the poor. (ii)ICDS:-Integrated Child Development Services were launched in 1975 to ensure nutrition among children of backward area. (iii) FFW: - ‘Food for work’ was introduced in 1977-78 to provide employment opportunities for the poor to ensure food security for them.
19. What is buffer stock? Why is it created by the government?
Answer: Buffer stock is the stock of food grains, namely wheat and rice procured by the government through Food Corporation of India (FCI). The FCI purchases wheat and rice from the farmers in states where there is surplus production. The farmers are paid a pre-announced price for their crops. Buffer stock is created to distribute food grains in deficit areas and among the poorer strata of society at price lower than the market price. It is also used at the time of adverse weather conditions.
20. Why is buffer stock created by the government? Give any three reasons.
Answer: Buffer stock is created due to following reasons: (i) To distribute food grains in deficit areas. (ii) To distribute food grains among the poorer strata of society at prices lower than market price. (iii) To resolve the problem of shortage of food during adverse weather conditions or during the periods of calamity.
Long Answer Questions
1. What is the difference between PDS and TPDS?
Answer: Difference between PDS and TPDS: The food procured by the FCI is distributed through fair price shops among the poor. This is called public distribution system. There was no discrimination between the poor and non poor under PDS. Under the TPDS, the government has announced separate issue prices for people below poverty line (BPL) and for above poverty line (APL) families. In December 2000, two special schemes were launched to make the TPDS more focused and targeted towards the poor. These were Antyodayo Anna Yojana (AAY) and the Annapurna Scheme (APS). The two schemes were linked with TPDS. Under the AAY, poor families were identified by the respective state rural development boards. Twenty-five kilograms of food grains were made available to each eligible family at highly subsidized rate of Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 3 per kg for rice. This quantity has been raised from 25 to 35 kg with effect from April 2002.
2. Discuss the role of government in the stabilization of food grain prices.
Answer: Government's Measures to Stabilize food grain prices. Our government has adopted the following measures to stabilize food grain prices: (i) The government has often resorted to import of food grains whenever it became necessary. For example, it entered into the PL 480 agreement with USA in 1956 to import food grain to face food crisis in the country. (ii) It tries to maintain price stability through buffer stocks. It buys food grains during crop season when prices fall and sell them when prices tend to rise in times of shortage. Had the government not purchased the food grains, their prices might have fallen due to increased supply in the market. Similarly, in the times of shortage, when these food grains are supplied to the consumers at subsidized prices, their prices do not rise much.
3. Explain briefly the measures undertaken by the government to increase the production and supply of food grains.
Answer: (i) Land Reform Measures: Our government introduced several land reform measures soon after independence to increase domestic production of food grains. These measures included (a) abolition of intermediaries to transfer land to the actual tiller (b) tenancy reforms to regulate rents paid by the tenants to the landlords (c) imposition of ceiling on landholdings to procure surplus land for distribution among the landless. (ii)Provision of Institutional Credit: To provide cheap and adequate agricultural finance many institutional credit agencies were set up. The expansion of institutional credit to farmers was made especially through cooperatives and commercial banks. As a result, the importance of village moneylenders, who used to exploit the farmers by charging high rates of interest, has drastically declined. Initially, only four percent of the total agricultural credit was advanced by cooperatives and commercial banks in 1950-51. Now their percentage share rose to 89 percent in 2004-05. (iii) New Agricultural Strategy: New agricultural strategy was introduced which resulted in the Green Revolution, especially in the production of wheat and rice. Total production of food grain has increased from 50.8 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 212.0 million tonnes in 2003-04.
4. Explain the paradox of excess stocks of food grains and starvation.
Answer: Paradox of Excess Stocks and Starvation. India has experienced a paradoxical situation in recent years. While the granaries of the government are overflowing with excess food grain stock, we also find people without food. We, in India, find widespread hunger even when we have excess stock of food grains. The main reason for this unfortunate situation is that many poor families do not have enough purchasing power (i.e. money income) to buy food. Over one-fifth of the country’s population suffers from chronic hunger. They have to go to their beds with empty stomach. A good food security network, therefore, should not only ensure adequate physical availability of food but also increase the capabilities of the poor to buy food. To tackle this unfortunate situation, our government has launched several special poverty alleviation programmes. These programmes aim at increasing income of the poor so as to enable them to buy food.
5. Point out the major defects of India’s food security system.
Answer: Defects of India’s Food Security System: The major flaws/drawbacks of food security system in India are as follows: (i) Limited Benefit to the Poor: The poor has not benefited much from the PDS. They have depended to a great extent on the open market for most of the commodities. Ration cards are issued only to those households who have proper residential addresses. Hence, a large number of homeless poor could not be covered under the PDS. (ii) Leakages from PDS: Another defect of PDS relates to the problem of leakages of goods from PDS to open market. The shopkeepers who are running ration shops sell ration in the open market at higher prices instead of selling to ration card-holders at subsidized prices. (iii) Increase in Prices: The PDS has also failed to protect the poor against price rise. There have been frequent increases in procurement and issue prices. Moreover, excessive buffer stocks of food grains have reduced its quantity available in the open market. This has also put an upward pressure on the market prices of food grains. (iv) Rising Burden of Food Subsidy: PDS is highly subsidized in India. This has put a huge fiscal burden on the government. For example, food subsidy burden has risen from Rs 602 crore in 1980-81 to Rs 25,800 crore in 2003-04.
6. What are the major functions of the Food Corporation of India?
Answer: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has the following major functions: i) FCI purchases wheat and rice from the farmers in states where there is surplus production. (ii) They announce Minimum Support Price (MSP) on which government buy the surplus from the farmers. (iii) They keep the record and maintain the buffer stock.
7. Describe four main advantages of the Public Distribution System.
Answer: The main advantages of Public Distribution System are: i) It is the most effective instrument of government policy over the years in stabilizing prices and making food available to consumers at affordable prices. (ii) It averts widespread hunger and famine by supplying food from surplus regions of the country to the deficit ones. (iii) It revises the prices of food grains in favour of poor household. (iv) The declaration of minimum support price and procurement has contributed to an increase in food grains production and provided income security to farmers in certain regions.
8. How does PDS ensure food security in India? Explain.
Answer: PDS or public distribution system distribute the food grains by the help of ration shops among the poorer sections of the society. Presently there are 4.6 lakh ration shops all over the country. Ration shops also known as fair price shops who keep the stock of food grains, sugar and cooking kerosene oil. These items are sold to people at a price lower than the market price. Any family with a ration card can buy a stipulated amount of these items (e.g. 35 kg of grains, 5 litres of kerosene, 5 kgs of sugar etc.) every month from the ration shop. PDS keeps on revising the prices in favour of urban poor.
9. What are the problems of the functioning of the ration shops? Describe any four of them.
Answer: The problems of the functioning of the ration shops are: (i) Irregular opening of ration shops and selling poor quality grains at ration shops. (ii) Massive unsold food grains that piles up at ration shops become a big problem for FCI. (iii) A family even slightly above poverty line gets very little discounts at ration shop. The prices are almost as high as open market price. (iv) The category of ration cards and range of prices do not exist now.
10. Describe in four points your awareness about National Food for Work Programme.
Answer: (i) National Food for Work Programme was launched on November 14, 2004 in 150 most backward districts of the country. (ii) The programme is open to all rural poor who are in need of wage employment and desire to do manual unskilled work. (iii) It is a 100 percent centrally-sponsored scheme and the food grains are provided to states free of cost. (iv) For year 2004-05, Rs 2020 crores have been allocated for the programme in addition to 20 lakh tonnes of food grains.
11. Explain how Green Revolution helped India to be self-sufficient in food grain production.
Answer: Green Revolution was a policy adopted by Indian policy makers for the growth in production of wheat and rice. HYV seeds were introduced and there was massive increase in production of wheat and rice. The increase in food grains was, however, disproportionate. The highest rate of growth was achieved in Punjab and Haryana, where food grain production jumped from 7.23mlion tonnes in 1964-65 to reach an all-time high of 30.33 million tonnes in 1995-96. Production of rice was recorded to rise significantly in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. (Production of food grains in India) (Source: Economic Survey 2004-05)
12. Write a note on the role of cooperatives in providing food and related items.
Answer: Te cooperatives also play an important role in food security in India, especially in southern and western parts of the country. (i) They set up shops to sell low price goods to poor people. For example, Mother Dairy in Delhi sells milk and vegetables to consumers at controlled rates decided by the Government of India. (ii) Cooperatives like Academy of Development Science (ADS) has facilitated a network of NGOs for setting up grain banks. ADS works in Maharashtra. They also organise training and capacity building programmes on food security for NGOs. The ADS grain bank programme is acknowledged as a successful and innovative food security intervention.
Study Resources
NCERT Economics Chapter 4 — Food Security in India
CBSE Class IX Social Science Syllabus 2025–26
Class 9 Economics Resources
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