Food security through public distribution system in India: An analysis

Public Distribution system is a rationing mechanism that entitles household to specified quantities of selected commodities of subsidies prices. In most parts of the country PDS ha been universal and all households, rural urban, with a registered residential address are entitled to rations. Eligible households are given a ration (Varying with house hold size and age composition) of selected commodities. The exact entitlement (quantity, range of commodities and prices) varies across states. The six essential commodities supplied through PDS nationally are rice, wheat, sugar, edible nil, kerosene and coal. Additional commodities like pulses, salt, tea are commodities that are made available through a network of Fair Price Shops. In 1998, there were a total of 4.5 lakhs Fair Price Shops in the country of which 3.6 lakhs were in rural areas, as of 1998 there were a total of 182.8 million families with ration cards in the country and an average, there were 406 ration cards assigned to each Fair Price Shop