UPSC Mains 2021 GS3 Q13 — Food security
What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013 ? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India ? (Answer in 250 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- What areHow has
- Scope keywords
- salient featuresNational Food Security Act, 2013Food Security Billeliminating hungermalnutrition in India
- Implicit sub-parts
- Identification of specific legal provisions (entitlements, coverage, and pricing).
- Institutional mechanisms for implementation (grievance redressal, transparency).
- Critical evaluation of outcomes: positive impact on caloric intake and accessibility.
- Identification of persistent challenges preventing the total elimination of malnutrition (hidden hunger, protein deficiency, leakage).
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing only on PDS (Subsidized Grains) while ignoring nutritional support for pregnant women and children (ICDS/MDM).
- Confusing 'hunger' (caloric intake) with 'malnutrition' (micro-nutrient deficiency) and failing to address why the latter persists.
- Omitting the significance of the shift from a 'welfare-based' to a 'rights-based' approach.
- Failing to mention specific data points like NFHS-5 or Global Hunger Index to validate the 'How has it helped' section.
- Dimensions required
- Legal/Statutory entitlementsLife-cycle approach (infancy to old age)Socio-economic impact (poverty and nutrition)Administrative/Structural (implementation challenges)Technological (Aadhar linkage/DBT)
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate 6-7 marks to the 'features' section using concise bullet points for the 67% coverage and specific entitlements. Devote the remaining 8-9 marks to a nuanced analysis of the impact on hunger vs. malnutrition, ensuring you mention that while it solved the quantity problem (hunger), the quality problem (malnutrition/stunting) requires more than just cereal-based interventions.
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