Public Distribution System: An arrangement for food security in India

Public Distribution System in India has close links with food security for the vulnerable segment of population. It is so because Public Distribution System is considered as a principal instrument in the hands of the government for providing safety net to the poor and the downtrodden. The PDS is now a four decade old system. The government incorporated various modifications from time to time to make its content and implementation more relevant for the masses and to increase its effectiveness. This paper analyzes that whether Public Distribution System is able to achieve its objective of providing food security to the poor people. Unfortunately, in India the working of Public Distribution System has not been successful in achieving food security at the desired level. In this backdrop, this paper studies the Indian Public Distribution System as a food security intervention.