India's PDS faces leakages, reforms needed for efficient distribution

Besides this annual cost, which will only increase with increasing MSPs and the overall carrying cost, it is well established that the programme is insufficient to fulfil citizens' nutritional needs

The Union government provides free foodgrain to 813.5 million beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Foodgrain is distributed to Antyodaya Anna Yojana households and priority households through over 500,000 fair-price shops across the country. It is reasonable to argue that as the country develops and incomes rise, the number of people dependent on such government support should decline. However, that’s not the case with India. A new study by Raya Das, Ranjana Roy, and Ashok Gulati has mapped how the public distribution system (PDS) has evolved, and what the consumption data says about its effectiveness, which deserves wider