The chapter “Food Security in India” explains how the government ensures the availability, accessibility, and affordability of food for all citizens. It covers important topics like buffer stock, Public Distribution System (PDS), Minimum Support Price (MSP), and the role of the government in preventing hunger and famine.
This page provides easy, accurate, and exam-oriented NCERT exercise solutions for Class 9 Economics – Food Security in India, written in simple language to help students prepare effectively and score better marks.
Chapter 4 – Food Security In Food
Exercise Solutions
Ques 1:- How is food security ensured in India?
Ans: To ensure the availability of food to all sections of society, the Government of India has designed a food security system which consists of two main components: -
* Buffer Stock
* Public Distribution System (PDS)
Food security in India is ensured in the following ways:
• Availability of Food: Food is made available through domestic production and the buffer stock maintained by the government from previous years.
• Accessibility of Food: Food reaches all citizens of the country through an efficient distribution system.
• Affordability of Food: Every individual should have sufficient purchasing power to afford safe and nutritious food.
Ques 2:- Which are the people more prone to food insecurity?
Ans: A large section of people in India suffers from food and nutritional insecurity. The worst affected sections are:
• Landless people with little or no land to depend on
• raditional artisans
• Providers of traditional services, petty self-employed workers, and destitute people including beggars
• Urban casual labourers engaged in seasonal activities
• Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and some sections of Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
• People affected by natural disasters such as droughts, floods, and earthquakes .
Ques 3:- Which states are more food insecure in India?
Ans: The states of Uttar Pradesh (eastern and south-eastern parts), Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are among the most food-insecure states in India.
Ques 4:- Do you believe that Green Revolution has made India self-sufficient in food grains? How?
Ans: Yes Green Revolution has made India self-sufficient in foodgrains in the following ways :-
• Increase in Production: The Green Revolution led to a significant increase in the production of foodgrains, especially wheat and rice, through the use of HYV seeds, irrigation, fertilizers and modern agricultural techniques. Foodgrain production increased from about 50 million tonnes in the early 1950s to over 218 million tonnes in 2009–10.
• Control over Imports: Before the Green Revolution, India depended heavily on foodgrain imports and food aid. After its success, India became largely self-reliant and foodgrain imports became negligible.
• Overflowing Buffer Stocks: Higher production enabled the government to maintain buffer stocks of foodgrains through the Food Corporation of India (FCI). These stocks are often much higher than the minimum buffer norms, ensuring food security during times of shortage.
Ques 5:- A section of the people in India are still without food. Explain.
Ans: A section of the people in India are still without food due to the following reasons:
• Many people cannot afford sufficient and nutritious food because of poverty, unemployment, and low incomes.
• Natural disasters such as droughts, floods, earthquakes, and cyclones reduce food production and disturb food supply in affected areas, leading to shortages.
• Inefficient distribution of food through the Public Distribution System (PDS) and leakages prevent food from reaching the poor.
• Lack of awareness among poor people about government schemes and food subsidies also leads to food insecurity.
Ques 6:- What happens to the supply of food when there is a disaster or a calamity?
Ans: When a country faces a natural disaster or calamity such as drought, flood, earthquake, tsunami, or famine, the total production of foodgrains decreases. This leads to a shortage of food, due to which prices rise.
• At high prices, poor people cannot afford food, and if the calamity is widespread or continues for a long period, it may result in starvation and can even turn into a famine.
• One of the most devastating famines in Indian history was the Bengal Famine of 1943, in which about thirty lakh people lost their lives.
Ques 7:- Differentiate between seasonal hunger and chronic hunger.
Ans:
| Basis | Seasonal Hunger | Chronic Hunger |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Seasonal hunger is related to seasonal cycles of food production and employment. | Chronic hunger is caused by persistently inadequate intake of food in terms of quantity and quality. |
| Cause | Caused by seasonal unemployment in agriculture and casual labour. | Caused by poverty, low income, and inability to afford food. |
| Area | Mostly found in rural areas and among urban casual labourers. | Mostly found among the poorest sections of society. |
| Duration | Occurs during certain seasons of the year. | Continues throughout the year. |
| Example | Construction workers unemployed during the rainy season. | Poor families unable to get sufficient food daily. |
Ques 8:- What has government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss any two schemes launched by the government.
Ans: To provide food security to the poor, the government has taken the following steps:
• Creation of buffer stock of foodgrains to ensure availability during shortages and emergencies.
• Public Distribution System (PDS) to supply foodgrains to poor households at highly subsidised prices.
• The government has also launched several poverty alleviation programmes, which include food security as an important component.
• Some important programmes are Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Food-for-Work (FFW) and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
• Two schemes launched by the government:
• Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): Launched in 2000, this scheme is meant for the poorest of the poor. Under this scheme, 35 kg of foodgrains per month are provided to each family at ₹2 per kg for wheat and ₹3 per kg for rice.
• Annapurna Scheme (APS): This scheme is meant for destitute senior citizens who have no regular source of income or family support. Under this scheme, 10 kg of foodgrains per month are provided free of cost.
Ques 9:- Why buffer stock is created by the government?
Ans: Buffer stock is the reserve of foodgrains (mainly wheat and rice) procured by the government through the Food Corporation of India (FCI):
• The FCI purchases foodgrains from farmers in surplus-producing states at a pre-announced price called Minimum Support Price (MSP) to protect farmers from price fluctuations.
• The procured foodgrains are stored in government granaries and maintained as buffer stock.
• Buffer stock is created to distribute foodgrains in deficit areas and to provide food to the poorer sections of society at prices lower than market prices, known as the issue price.
• It also helps the government to meet food shortages during natural calamities, adverse weather conditions, or emergencies, thereby ensuring food security.
Ques 10:- Write notes on
(a) Minimum Support Price (MSP): -
• The Food Corporation of India (FCI) purchases wheat and rice from farmers in states with surplus production.
• Farmers are paid a pre-announced price for their crops, known as the Minimum Support Price (MSP)
• The government announces MSP before the sowing season every year to protect farmers from price fluctuations.
• The procured foodgrains are stored in government granaries.
(b) Buffer Stock: -
• Buffer stock refers to the reserve of foodgrains, mainly wheat and rice, procured by the government through the FCI.
• It is maintained to meet food shortages during natural calamities and to provide food to the poorer sections of society.
(c) Issue Price: -
• Foodgrains from buffer stock are supplied to deficit areas and poor households at a price lower than the market price.
• This subsidised price is called the Issue Price.
(d) Fair Price Shops: -
• Fair Price Shops, also known as ration shops, distribute foodgrains, sugar, and kerosene to the public.
• These items are sold at subsidised rates fixed by the government.
• Households with a ration card can purchase a fixed quantity of these items every month from nearby ration shops.
Ques 11 :- What are the problems of the functioning of ration shops?
Ans:- Ration shops, also known as Fair Price Shops, distribute foodgrains, sugar, and kerosene to people at subsidised prices. However, there are several problems in their functioning:
• The quality of foodgrains supplied to the poor is often inferior.
• Many ration shop dealers indulge in malpractices, such as diverting grains to the open market or not supplying the full entitled quantity.
• Some ration shops do not open regularly, causing inconvenience to poor people who depend on them.
• Wrong or fake entries are often made in ration cards, which deprives genuine beneficiaries of their due share.
Ques 12: Write a note on the role of co-operatives in providing food and related items.
Ans:- The co-operatives play an important role in ensuring food security in India, especially in the Southern and Western parts of the country.
• Cooperative societies set up shops to sell low-priced food items and essential goods to poor people.
• Out of all the Fair Price Shops operating in Tamil Nadu, nearly 94 percent are run by cooperatives.
• In Delhi, Mother Dairy has made significant progress in providing milk and vegetables to consumers at controlled rates decided by the Government of Delhi.
• Amul, another successful cooperative from Gujarat, has played a major role in the production and distribution of milk and milk products. It has brought about the White Revolution in the country.
• These are a few examples of the many cooperatives working in different parts of the country to ensure food security for various sections of society.
Conclusion
Food Security is a crucial concept in Class 9 Economics as it highlights the importance of ensuring adequate, safe, and nutritious food for all citizens. Through this chapter, students emphasizes that achieving food security is essential for reducing poverty, hunger, and inequality, and it plays a vital role in the social and economic development of the country.
FAQs: Food Security in India – Class 9 Economics
Why is food security important in India?
Food security is important to ensure that all people, especially the poor and vulnerable, have access to sufficient and nutritious food.
How does the government ensure food security?
The government ensures food security through buffer stock, the Public Distribution System (PDS), and various food-based welfare schemes.
What role do cooperatives play in food security?
Cooperatives like Amul and Mother Dairy provide essential food items at affordable prices and strengthen food availability.
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