{"id":14627,"date":"2018-01-17T16:16:35","date_gmt":"2018-01-17T10:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=14627"},"modified":"2018-01-17T16:16:35","modified_gmt":"2018-01-17T10:46:35","slug":"indias-public-distribution-system-pds-is-in-danger-of-being-derailed-in-several-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-public-distribution-system-pds-is-in-danger-of-being-derailed-in-several-states\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s public distribution system (PDS) is in danger of being derailed in several States:"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><u>Context:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s public distribution system (PDS) is in danger of being derailed in several States across the country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Public Distribution System:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Public Distribution System (PDS) evolved as a system for distribution of food grains at affordable prices and management of emergency situations.<\/li>\n<li>Public distribution system\u00a0(PDS) is an Indian\u00a0food security\u00a0system.<\/li>\n<li>Established by the\u00a0Government of India\u00a0under\u00a0Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution\u00a0and are managed jointly by\u00a0state governments in India.<\/li>\n<li>It distributes subsidized food and non-food items to\u00a0India\u2019s poor. This scheme was launched in June 1947.<\/li>\n<li>It functions through a network of Fair Price Shops at a subsidized price on a recurring basis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>History of PDS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Till 1992, PDS was a general entitlement scheme for all consumers without any specific target.<\/li>\n<li>But in 1992, PDS became\u00a0<strong>RPDS (Revamped\u00a0PDS)<\/strong>\u00a0focusing the poor families, especially in the far-flung, hilly, remote and inaccessible areas.<\/li>\n<li>In 1997 RPDS became\u00a0<strong>TPDS (Targeted PDS)<\/strong>\u00a0which established\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Fair Price Shops<\/strong>\u00a0for the distribution of food grains at subsidized rates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Significance of the Public distribution system in India:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The following are the\u00a0advantages\u00a0of the public distribution system:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It has helped in stabilising food prices and making food available to consumers at affordable prices.<\/li>\n<li>It has helped in avoiding hunger and famine by supplying food from surplus regions of the country to deficient regions.<\/li>\n<li>The system of minimum support price and procurement has contributed to increase in food grain production.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Criticisms of PDS:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The system is blamed for inefficiency and rural-urban biasness.<\/li>\n<li>It is frequently being criticized for corruption and black marketing.<\/li>\n<li>PDS dealers often give less than what they are entitled to, and pocket the rest.<\/li>\n<li>Food grains supplied by ration shops are either not enough to meet demand or are of inferior quality.<\/li>\n<li>Leakages in PDS:Leakages refer to food grains not reaching intended beneficiaries.<\/li>\n<li>Storage of food grains is another challenge.<\/li>\n<li>Poor quality of food grains: \u00a0Poor quality of food may impact the willingness of people to buy food from fair price shops, and may have an adverse impact on their health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>India\u2019s public distribution system (PDS) is in danger of being derailed in several States:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>For example:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Jharkhand:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jharkhand is a prime example of this problem.<\/li>\n<li>By mid-2016, the PDS in Jharkhand had greatly improved, partly due to a series of reforms inspired by Chhattisgarh\u2019s experience and intensified under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).<\/li>\n<li>The state government has made Aadhaar-based biometric authentication compulsory for PDS users.<\/li>\n<li>Large number of people like vulnerable groups such as widows and the elderly people found themselves excluded from the PDS.<\/li>\n<li>There is a huge corruption involved in the system.<\/li>\n<li>The mass-cancellation of Aadhaar-less ration cards, without verification and without even informing the victims, was both inhuman and illegal.<\/li>\n<li>Jharkhand is among the worst cases of destabilisation of the PDS, but similar moves are happening in other States.<\/li>\n<li>Most of them are under tremendous pressure from the Central government to impose Aadhaar-based biometric authentication or move towards DBT.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Rajasthan:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In Rajasthan, the biometric authentication has caused enormous damage, evident even in the government\u2019s own transactions data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Chhattisgarh:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Even Chhattisgarh, known for its model PDS, is under pressure to follow the diktats of the Central government and adopt Aadhaar-based technology.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Reforms needed in PDS:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><u>Use of innovative schemes: <\/u><\/strong>Innovative schemes lie use of Cash Transfer, Food Coupons etc.<\/li>\n<li>Regular supply of good quality of grains.<\/li>\n<li>Improvement in the viability of Fixed Price shops.<\/li>\n<li>Introduction of more effective <strong><u>Management Information System.<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Use of GPS technology:<\/strong>Use of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to track the movement of trucks carrying foodgrains from state depots to FPS which can help to prevent diversion.<\/li>\n<li><strong>SMS-based monitoring:<\/strong>Allows monitoring by citizens so they can register their mobile numbers and send\/receive SMS alerts during dispatch and arrival of TPDS commodities<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use of web-based citizens portal:<\/strong>Public Grievance Redressal Machineries, such as a toll-free number for call centers to register complaints or suggestions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Way ahead:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The need of the hour is PDS reforms to ensure that public distribution functions the way it is intended.\u00a0Technology based reforms are suggested.<\/li>\n<li><strong><u>Technology Based reforms: <\/u><\/strong>End to end computerization would bring in transparency in the whole process. It would help to prevent leakages and diversion of food grains to a great extent.The different type\u2019s reforms undertaken by different states are:<\/li>\n<li><strong><u>Adhaar Linked and digitized ration cards:\u00a0<\/u><\/strong>This allows online entry and verification of beneficiary data. It also enables online tracking of monthly entitlements and off-take of foodgrains by beneficiaries.<\/li>\n<li><strong><u>Computerized Fair Price Shops:\u00a0<\/u><\/strong>FPS automated by installing \u2018Point of Sale \u2018device to swap the ration card. It authenticates the beneficiaries and records the quantity of subsidized grains given to families.<\/li>\n<li><strong><u>Door-to- door delivery: <\/u><\/strong>Provisions of door-to-door delivery to ensure that right amount of material reaches the beneficiary at the right time is the need of the hour.<\/li>\n<li><strong><u>Transparency: <\/u><\/strong>There is need to increase greater transparency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Conclusion:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Delivery of welfare programme is not dependent on whether cash or food is delivered, but on political and administrative will, and public vigilance and organsiation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Context: India\u2019s public distribution system (PDS) is in danger of being derailed in several States across the country. Public Distribution System: The Public Distribution System (PDS) evolved as a system for distribution of food grains at affordable prices and management of emergency situations. Public distribution system\u00a0(PDS) is an Indian\u00a0food security\u00a0system. Established by the\u00a0Government of India\u00a0under\u00a0Ministry&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-public-distribution-system-pds-is-in-danger-of-being-derailed-in-several-states\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">India\u2019s public distribution system (PDS) is in danger of being derailed in several States:<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":14635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy-2","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/2297197.jpg?fit=1008%2C514&ssl=1","views":{"total":250,"cached_at":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}