Jobs lost, middle-class Indians line up for rations and ‘worry about meals’

Source: Business Standard

Relevance: The issue of hunger is one of the issues related to the basic necessities of life. Pandemic has worsened India’s situation on this parameter.

Synopsis: Loss of jobs and livelihood during the Pandemic has devastated the Food security of millions of poor in India.

Increasing Poverty and Hunger in India

• According to a study by the Azim Premji University, the daily average wage for about 230 million Indians dropped below the Rs 375 ($5) threshold.
• More than 15 million Indians lost their jobs in May alone, according to the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy.
• Loss of jobs and livelihood is leading to an increase in hunger, particularly in urban areas.

Issues that are challenging the Food distribution to the poor

• Surging food prices: A stalled monsoon threatens to further stoke food inflation that was at 5 percent. Surging food prices have prompted economists to call for widening the distribution of cereals under India’s National Food Security Act.
• Exclusion errors: Further, more than 100 million people remain outside the government’s public distribution system because coverage is calculated on outdated census data.
• Widening States Burden: Increasing number of middle-class people are also seeking support from Fair price shops.

Relief Measures in Place to manage food Distress

• At centre level:
  • National food security act: The government is required by law to provide five kilograms of rice, wheat, and coarse grains at subsidized rates as low as one rupee per kilogram to India’s poorest each month.
  • Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana: It provides for additional six kilos a month per person until November, at a cost of 1.5 trillion rupees ($20 billion). The program was restarted in April and has been extended to November 2021.
• At State level
  • Similarly, at the state level, relief measures are being provided for the poor. For instance, in Delhi, free food grains for two months to 7.2 million ration cardholders as well as financial aid of 5,000 rupees to 156,000 autorickshaws and taxi drivers are being undertaken.
• Role of Civil society organizations
  • Civil society organisations are involved in distributing meals and dry rations for the needy. For instance, Want Food collective (Mumbai).
  • Furthermore, community kitchens are being run by the common man to support the poor.