What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating…

(a) Salient features: The National Food Security Act, 2013 makes food a legal entitlement. It covers up to 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population (about 67% overall, 81.35 crore people), who get 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at ₹3, ₹2 and ₹1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains; Antyodaya (AAY) households get 35 kg per household. The foodgrains were made free under PMGKAY from January 2023, with a five-year extension from January 2024. Pregnant women and lactating mothers get maternity benefit, and children get nutritious meals: six months to six years through Anganwadis and six to 14 years through school mid-day meals. The eldest woman is the head of the household for ration cards. Institutions include State Food Commissions and District Grievance Redressal Officers.

(b) Impact on hunger and malnutrition: Enforceable entitlements and PDS digitisation (digital ration cards, Aadhaar seeding, ePoS) have reduced leakages and diversion. FAO's SOFI 2022 shows undernourishment falling from about 21.6% in 2004-06 to 16.3% in 2019-21, while NFHS-5 records stunting down from 48% in 2005-06 to 35.5% in 2019-21. POSHAN Abhiyaan, Saksham Anganwadi and food fortification reinforced these gains. Exclusion errors, quality problems and pandemic disruption of mid-day meals show that hunger and malnutrition are not eliminated, so better targeting, quality control and convergence with nutrition programmes remain necessary.