From Entitlements to Equity: Advancing the Right to Food in India
India has developed one of the largest food-security systems in the world but to transition From Entitlement to Equity: Advancing the Right to Food in India more than mere distribution of subsidised grains is needed. Despite the access expansion brought about by programmes such as NFSA, TPDS, PM-POSHAN and ICDS millions of people continue to experience nutritional gaps, exclusion and low dietary diversity. The right to food should not only be a question of entitlements but must focus on fairness on providing access to safe and nutritious and a variety of diets to everyone. In this article, the author discusses how India can shift the gears in their endeavor of From Entitlement to Equity: Advancing the Right to Food in India by providing a solid governance, developing resilient systems and empowering communities.
India’s Progress and the Remaining Gaps
Food rights have been legally established by the NFSA, 2013 and programmes of provision in large-scale through the TPDS, which resulted in a comprehensive network of entitlements. This is one of the largest systems since subsidised foodgrains are enjoyed by over 80 crore people in the country. However, this improvement is not the case, and India is still struggling with malnutrition. A third of the children are stunted and the poor households have low dietary diversity. This is why one can find it necessary to consider From Entitlements to Equity: Advancing the Right to Food in India as the focus on quality of food in addition to quantity.
Why Entitlements Alone Do Not Ensure Equity
The model of India is Cereal based, which guarantees calories and not holistic nutrition. The inaccessibility to pulses, fruits, vegetables, and protein-rich food items creates nutritional gaps, which are not filled. The exclusion error continues to affect migrants, informal workers as well as marginalised groups that face the issue of documentation barrier. Nutrition outcomes are further undermined by gender differences, sanitation problems and poor maternal health. In order to really transform From Entitlement to Equity: Advancing the Right to Food in India, the agenda needs to be changed to give the emphasis on foodgrain distribution to nutrition-centered entitlements that address the actual dietary needs.
Strengthening Local and Resilient Food Systems
There is a need to reform governance, have community-based food system, and diversify the PDS. India needs to incorporate millets, pulses, and coarse grains into PDS, PM-POSHAN and ICDS, which can boost the nutritional status as well as benefit the small farmers and sustainable agriculture. City food insecurity must also be addressed within specific measures of its own, including portable ration cards under ONORC, municipal kitchens, and closer liaisons with municipal agencies. These actions will be essential towards moving the case of From Entitlements to Equity: Advancing the Right to Food in India in a rural and urban environment.
Way Forward: A Policy Roadmap for Future Equity
This means that, to achieve real equity, India should establish shock responsive food systems that would be resistant to climatic and economic shocks. Farmers-producer organisations and women groups can help to establish stronger nutrition security and local economies through local procurement. Finally, India must guarantee that every citizen including child, woman or worker is not denied the opportunity to have a nutritious and varied diet. It is only at this point that the country can fully enjoy the vision From Entitlements to Equity: Advancing the Right to Food in India and have sustainable nourishment to all.
