Sowing Seeds of Nutrition: Key Schemes Driving Food Security across the Nation

Food is a fundamental necessity, and ensuring its accessibility while maintaining nutritional standards is crucial for overall well-being. To address this, the government has implemented several significant schemes that not only provide essential rations at fair prices but also focus on the nutrition of newborns and mothers. These initiatives aim to promote holistic health and ensure that every citizen has access to adequate nutrition.

1. Public Distribution System (PDS):

The Public Distribution System (PDS) plays a crucial role in managing food supply and stabilizing the nation's food economy by providing essential food grains at subsidized rates.

Key Achievements:

1. 100% digitized ration cards: Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), data for 20.5 crore ration cardholders has been digitized across all states and union territories.
2. Aadhaar Seeding: 99.8% of ration cards have been linked to Aadhaar, ensuring transparency and accountability.
3. e-PoS Devices: 99.6% of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) across the country are equipped with electronic Point of Sale (e-PoS) devices, streamlining the food distribution process.
4. Biometric Authentication: Over 97% of transactions are now authenticated through Aadhaar-based biometric verification.

2. PM POSHAN (POSHAN Shakti Nirman) Scheme:

Previously known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the PM POSHAN initiative aims to improve school enrollment, attendance, and retention rates by providing nutritional support to schoolchildren. First launched in 1995 as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE), it was later expanded to cover upper primary classes.

Key Achievements:

1. The Central Government has allocated ₹54,061.73 crore, while State Governments and UTs have contributed ₹31,733.17 crore to the scheme.
2. An additional ₹45,000 crore will be provided by the Central Government for food grains, bringing the total budget to ₹1,30,794.90 crore.
3. Budget allocation has increased from ₹6,539.52 crore in 2008-09 to ₹8,457.74 crore in 2023-24, reflecting the scheme’s growing reach and impact.

3. PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme:

This scheme, with a budget of ₹10,000 crore, provides financial, technical, and business support to micro food processing units.

Key Achievements:

1. The project cost increased from ₹390.99 crore in 2021-22 to ₹5,198.3 crore in 2023-24.
2. The number of food processing units grew from 2,885 in 2021-22 to 54,730 in 2023-24.
3. The scheme generated 1,88,802 jobs in 2023-24, compared to 14,201 jobs in 2021-22.

4. Production-Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI):

Launched in March 2021, this scheme provides ₹10,900 crore in financial incentives to promote Indian food brands in global markets.

Key Achievements:

1. Investment Growth: The scheme has attracted ₹8,910 crore in investments across 213 locations.
2. Employment Generation: As of October 31, 2024, the scheme has created over 2.89 lakh jobs.
3. Project Expansion: The scheme’s budget increased from ₹663 crore in 2020-21 to ₹8,910 crore in 2023-24, highlighting substantial growth.

5. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY):

Launched in March 2020, this scheme was introduced to provide free food grains to 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) during the COVID-19 crisis.

Key Achievements:

1. Free food distribution for 28 months, helping millions during the pandemic.
2. Over 75 crore beneficiaries received food grains each month during its implementation.
3. From January 2024, the government will continue providing free food grains to 81.35 crore beneficiaries for the next five years to ensure food security and affordability.