FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA CLASS-9 SUBJECT-SOCIAL SCIENCE (ECONOMICS)
******************************1. How is food security ensured in India?
Answer:
-
Buffer stock: Government buys and stores surplus foodgrains from farmers.
-
Public Distribution System (PDS): Distributes food to poor people through ration shops.
-
Minimum Support Price (MSP): Farmers are paid a fixed price to encourage foodgrain production.
-
Poverty alleviation programmes: Schemes like MGNREGA, ICDS, and Midday Meals improve food access.
-
Cooperatives and NGOs: Support food distribution through fair price shops and grain banks.
2. Which are the people more prone to food insecurity?
Answer:
-
Landless labourers and small farmers with low income.
-
Casual urban workers in low-paid jobs without regular income.
-
SCs, STs, and some OBCs, especially those with poor land or job access.
-
People affected by natural disasters and who are forced to migrate.
-
Pregnant women, children, and elderly in poor families suffer the most.
3. Which states are more food insecure in India?
Answer:
-
Bihar and Jharkhand – high poverty, low development.
-
Odisha and Chhattisgarh – frequent natural disasters, tribal population.
-
Eastern and southern Uttar Pradesh – dense population, poor agricultural output.
-
West Bengal and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra – inequality and lack of job security.
-
These regions show high rates of malnutrition and hunger.
4. Do you believe that Green Revolution has made India self-sufficient in food grains? How?
Answer:
Yes, it has.
-
Green Revolution started in the 1960s increased wheat and rice production.
-
Use of HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, and irrigation boosted output.
-
India became self-sufficient and avoided famines.
-
Grain production reached over 310 million tonnes in 2020–21.
-
However, growth was mainly in Punjab, Haryana, and UP, not equal everywhere.
5. A section of people in India are still without food. Explain.
Answer:
-
Poverty is the main reason; people don’t have money to buy food.
-
Jobless and landless people can't earn enough to feed their families.
-
People in remote or disaster-affected areas face food shortages.
-
Women and children often eat last or less in poor households.
-
Inefficiencies in the PDS and corruption can also deny food to the needy.
-
Food production drops due to crop damage (e.g., drought, floods).
-
Prices rise because of less supply in the market.
-
Poor people can’t afford expensive food.
-
In extreme cases, this leads to starvation or famine.
-
Government uses buffer stock and PDS to control the crisis.
Seasonal Hunger | Chronic Hunger |
---|---|
Happens at certain times of the year. | Happens all year round, continuously. |
Related to farming cycles (no work in lean season). | Caused by permanently low income. |
Found in rural workers and urban casual labourers. | Found in poorest families. |
Lasts for short periods (few months). | Lasts for long term or lifetime. |
Example: Ramu’s family in textbook. | Example: Beggars or landless poor. |
8. What has our government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss any two schemes.
Answer:
-
Public Distribution System (PDS):
-
Supplies foodgrains at low prices through ration shops.
-
Ration cards (APL, BPL, Antyodaya) help families get food.
-
-
Mid-Day Meal Scheme:
-
Provides free lunch in government schools.
-
Encourages school attendance and improves nutrition of children.
-
Other examples include: Antyodaya Anna Yojana, ICDS, and Food for Work programme.
-
To ensure food availability during emergencies (e.g., drought, flood).
-
Helps maintain price stability in the market.
-
Ensures farmers get minimum support price.
-
Stored grains are used for PDS and relief work.
-
Acts as a national food reserve to prevent famines.
10. Write notes on:
(a) Minimum Support Price (MSP)
-
It is the price at which the government buys crops from farmers.
-
Encourages farmers to grow more food.
(b) Buffer Stock
-
Stock of wheat and rice kept by the government (FCI).
-
Used in times of shortage or high prices.
(c) Issue Price
-
Price at which grains are sold to poor people through ration shops.
-
Lower than market price.
(d) Fair Price Shops
-
Government ration shops that sell grains, sugar, and kerosene.
-
Meant for families with ration cards.
-
Some dealers divert grains to black market to earn more.
-
Poor quality grains are sold to customers.
-
Shops are often closed or irregular in timings.
-
APL families get little benefit, so they avoid PDS.
-
Corruption and improper management reduce the system’s effectiveness.
12. Write a note on the role of cooperatives in providing food and related items.
Answer:
-
Cooperatives run fair price shops especially in states like Tamil Nadu.
-
Mother Dairy in Delhi and Amul in Gujarat provide milk and vegetables.
-
Grain Banks started by NGOs like ADS help during emergencies.
-
Cooperatives provide goods at lower prices and reduce dependency on private sellers.
-
They play a strong role in ensuring food security in rural and urban areas.
Cahpter 1- What is Democracy? Why Democracy?
Chapter 2- Constitutional Design
Chapter 3- Electoral Politics
Chapter 4- Working of Institutions
Class 9- Economics
Comments
Post a Comment