Food Security Card
The National Food Security Act (NFSA), also known as Right to Food Act is considered historic legislation which was introduced with an aim to provide specific rights and entitlement to the underprivileged people of the country. These rights are introduced to help underprivileged people to get proper nourishment and lead healthy lives. Launched in 2013, the National Food Security Act comprises a mid-day meal program, integrated service of child development, and a public system of food distribution. Moreover, under the implementation of the act, the government has allocated subsidized food grains to over two third of the underprivileged population of India. The document referred to as the National Food Security Card, additionally known as the Food Security Ration Card, gives cardholders with right to important items like rice, sugar, fertilisers, kerosene, and LPG at decreased charges. Through the ‘One Nation One Ration’, cardholders can buy essentials from any ration shop. Furthermore, the card serves as a flexible file, serving as legitimate evidence of identity for each of the cardholder and their families. What is NFSA in Ration Cards? The “One Nation One Ration Card” (ONORC) Scheme was launched by the Department of Food & Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution in 2018. It is a national Ration Card portability scheme to ensure food security for all including internal migrants within India. It enables migrant workers and their family members to access PDS benefits from any Fair Price Shop anywhere in the country, thus ensuring the food security through the inter-state portability of ration cards under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). A Fair Price Shop (FPS) is a public ration store licensed under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act of 1955. Ration card details and entitlements are available online on any ePoS device in the country. It includes both inter-State and intra-State (inter-district/intra-district) portability of ration cards.Assam is the 36th State to implement the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme. The ONORC plan has successfully been implemented in all 36 States/UTs making food security portable throughout the country. The government has launched a mobile app, namely ‘MERA RATION’ for acquiring the maximum benefit of the ONORC plan. Benefits of National Food Security Card It will benefit approximately 81 crores beneficiaries by digitizing Ration Cards. This system allows all NFSA beneficiaries, particularly migrant beneficiaries, to claim either full or part food grains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) in the country through an existing ration card with biometric/Aadhaar authentication in a seamless manner. With the ONORC, all the beneficiaries in one state can get the same fair rations in other states where the ration card was issued. The scheme will ensure food security of migrant laborers who move to other states to seek better job opportunities. It will improve the mechanism to identify fake/duplicate ration cards. It seeks to provide universal access to PDS food grains for migrant workers. Ration card portability will be achieved by implementing an IT-driven system that installs ePoS devices in each Fair Price Shop (FPS). The ONORC will also help achieve the target set under SDG 2: Ending hunger by 2030. National Food Security Act, 1999 The National Food Security Act of 2013 plays an important role in ensuring fundamental human rights of Indian citizens as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution. Pre-NFSA Situation: Public Distribution Systems Before the NFSA, the government managed matters related to food through the Public Distribution System and the Targeted Public Distribution System. NFSA Implementation On July 4, 2013, the Union Cabinet accredited the National Food Security bill, marking a massive change. This legislative degree brought massive benefits to over sixty seven % of the population. Primary Goal: UN’s Hunger Eradication Objective The primary intention of the NFSA aligns with the United Nations’ worldwide agenda to remove hunger with the aid by 2030. Through its provisions, the NFSA targets to ensure meals security and address the broader right to live for the residents of India. National Food Security Card Eligibility Households which are covered under provisions associated with Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). Priority households mentioned under the clauses of the Targeted Public Distribution System or TPDS. As per the latest data released by the census, the population coverage is determined by the Central Government of India. As per the latest reports, National Food Security Act scheme is aimed for the 50% of the people residing in urban India and 75% of the people staying in rural parts of the country. The cost of foodgrains are set for a tenure of three years after which the rates of food grains set by the Central Government will change as per the ‘Minimum Support Price’ criteria. In case of the shortage of foodgrains, the beneficiaries will be compensated with a food security allowance which will be administered by providing cash to purchase food grains. Security Allowance and Food Entitlements Under the NFSA, each month, the beneficiaries will get 5kg food grain per person. Under this scheme of AAY, the beneficiaries will get 35 kg food grains each month. The cost of the foodgrains are set for a period of three years after which the government will change the fixed rates as per the ‘Minimum Support Price’. The price of foodgrains is set maximum of Rs.2 per kg of wheat, Rs.3 per kg of rice, and Re.1 per kg of coarse foodgrains for three-year tenure. In case of the shortage of foodgrains, the households will be duly compensated with foodgrain security allowance which will be administered by providing cash to purchase foodgrains. Special Facility to Women and Children NFSA pays special emphasis to women and children by providing certain benefits to them. Given below are the principles of NFSA which aims to give special focus to women and children Pregnant and lactating women can get free meal at any time during their pregnancy and this facility is valid for six months after the birth of a child. Children aged between six months and six years can get meals free of cost.
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