Question

Give a brief description of the current status of the public distribution system.

Answer 1

Hint: We know that The Indian food security framework was set up by the Government of India under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to disperse food and non-food things to India's poor at sponsored rates. Significant wares appropriated incorporate staple food grains, for example, wheat, rice, sugar, and fundamental powers like lamp fuel, through an organization of reasonable value shops (otherwise called apportion shops). Food Corporation of India, a Government-claimed enterprise, acquires and keeps up the public dissemination framework.

Complete answer:
(I) Public Distribution System (PDS) is the main advance taken by the Government of India towards guaranteeing food security. At the outset, the inclusion of PDS was widespread with no segregation between poor people and the non-poor.
(ii) Over the years, the approach identified with PDS has been changed to make it more productive and focused on. In \[1992\], Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDs) was presented in \[1700\] squares in the nation.
(iii) The objective was to give the advantages of PDS to distant and in reverse regions. From June \[1997\], in a restored endeavor, Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) was acquainted with receiving the rule of focusing on the 'poor in all territories'.
(iv) It was unexpected that a differential value strategy was embraced for poor people and the non-poor. Further, in \[\;2000\], two unique plans were dispatched in particular Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and the Annapurna Scheme (APS) with exceptional objective gatherings of 'most unfortunate of poor people' and 'poverty-stricken senior residents' separately.
(v) The working of these two plans was connected with the current organization of the Public Distribution System.

Note: The public dispersion arrangement of India isn't without its imperfections. With the inclusion of around 40 million underneath destitution line families, an audit found the accompanying primary deficiencies and disturbances:
1. Developing occasions of the shoppers getting second rate quality food grains in apportion shops.
2. Maverick vendors trade great supplies got from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) with mediocre stock and sell the great quality FCI stock to private retailers.
Illegal reasonable value retailers have been found to make an enormous number of sham cards to sell food grains in the open market.
3. Numerous FPS vendors resort to misbehavior, illicit redirections of products, holding and dark showcasing because of the base compensation got by them.
Various acts of neglect make protected and nutritious food out of reach and un-moderated to numerous helpless in this way bringing about their food insecurity.
4. The ID of family units to indicate status and dispersion to allowed PDS administrations has been exceptionally sporadic and different in different states. The ongoing improvement of Aadhar UIDAI cards has responded to the call of tackling the issue of recognizable proof and dispersion of PDs benefits alongside Direct Cash Transfers.
5. Local assignment and inclusion of FPS are unsuitable and the center target of value adjustment of basic wares has not met.
6. There are no set standards concerning which families are above or beneath the neediness line. This vagueness gives a gigantic degree for debasement and aftermaths in PDS frameworks since some who are intended to profit can't.