Theme : Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections
Paper:GS-2
TABLE OF CONTENT
- Context
- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana(PMGKY)
- Flaws in the Scheme
- Why to Continue scheme
- Road Ahead
Context : The Cabinet has announced that under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKY), 810 million National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries will receive five kilos of free foodgrains every month in 2023.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana(PMGKY) :
- PMGKY was part of the Centre’s initial COVID-19 relief.
- Its nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Finance.
- Beneficiaries under National Food Security Act:
- It provides for 5 kg of rice or wheat per person per month to be distributed free of cost
- This is over and above the 5 kg already provided to ration card holders at a subsidized rate
- e.35 kg per month per family for AAY(Antyodaya Anna Yojana) and 5 kg per month per person for Priority Households(PHH).
- The 80 crore cap on NFSA beneficiaries and state ration card quotas are based on 2011 census data.
- Initially:One kg of pulses was also provided under the scheme, which was later restricted to chana dal only, and then discontinued in later phases.
Flaws in the Scheme :
- Ration records have not been updated since the 2011 Census — as per estimates
- More than 40% of India’s population is currently excluded from both the NFSA and PMGKY.
- In many villages and slums, the most marginalized castes and communities, especially migrants, sex workers, the homeless and transgender persons are often without NFSA ration cards.
Why to Continue scheme :
- Pandemic still exists
- Unemployment remains at record levels
- Hunger: There is widespread hunger among vulnerable communities.
Road Ahead :
- Study of scheme: The central authorities should commission a study and make its findings public. Just as it did in the initial months of the pandemic.
- It should be the basis for updating the database of foodgrain-drawing card holders, scrutinizing the data critically and zeroing in on the needy.
- Need to go beyond the mandate of the NFSA: as is being done under the PMGKAY, the government can supply the foodgrains at a reasonable price.
- Rules on quota: To keep the budgetary allocation under control, rules on quota for rice or wheat can be changed suitably.
- Diversion from PDS: central and State authorities need to ponder over the scheme’s continuance, given the chronic problem of diversion from the Public Distribution System (PDS).
FAQs :
-
What is PMGKY?
ANS.
- PMGKY was part of the Centre’s initial COVID-19 relief.
- Its nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Finance.
- Beneficiaries under National Food Security Act:
- It provides for 5 kg of rice or wheat per person per month to be distributed free of cost
- This is over and above the 5 kg already provided to ration card holders at a subsidized rate
- e.35 kg per month per family for AAY(Antyodaya Anna Yojana) and 5 kg per month per person for Priority Households(PHH).
- The 80 crore cap on NFSA beneficiaries and state ration card quotas are based on 2011 census data.
- Initially:One kg of pulses was also provided under the scheme, which was later restricted to chana dal only, and then discontinued in later phases.
-
Enlist the Flaws in the Scheme.
ANS.
- Ration records have not been updated since the 2011 Census — as per estimates
- More than 40% of India’s population is currently excluded from both the NFSA and PMGKY.
- In many villages and slums, the most marginalized castes and communities, especially migrants, sex workers, the homeless and transgender persons are often without NFSA ration cards.