India is committed to ensuring foodgrain availability and nutrition for its people. To ensure no one sleeps hungry, the Central Government provides subsidized food grains to States under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is reimbursed by the Central Government for the gap between the cost and the subsidized price of food grains supplied to states. States that follow Decentralized Procurement (DCP) methods receive direct subsidies from the Central Government based on the quantity of food grains they procure and distribute.

Over the last 9 years, food subsidy amounting to a total of Rs. 4.04 lakh crore has been released to DCP states, while Rs. 14.48 lakh crore has been released to FCI. Government of India has also decided to provide free-of-cost foodgrains to around 80 crore NFSA beneficiaries for one year from January 01, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

To further strengthen the foodgrain distribution in India, the One Nation, One Ration Card (ONORC) was implemented. It enables beneficiaries, especially migrant workers and marginalized communities, to easily procure their food grains across the country, regardless of their location. From its initial launch in four states in 2019, ONORC has been successfully achieved in all 36 states and Union Territories, ensuring nation-wide portability of ration cards. So far, 105+ crore inter/intra state transactions have been recorded throughout the country under ONORC.

Further Reading:

• One Nation One Ration Card
• Increased food production in India

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