Food Security in India – Long Answer Questions
Medium Level (Application & Explanation)
Q1. Explain the three dimensions of food security. Why are all three needed together?
Answer:
- Food security has three parts: availability, accessibility, and affordability.
- Availability means enough food is produced or imported and kept in stocks.
- Accessibility means people can reach food through markets or nearby outlets.
- Affordability means people have enough income to buy safe and nutritious food.
- If any one is missing, people can face food insecurity.
- So, true food security needs food to be available, reachable, and within budget for everyone.
Q2. What role do the government and the Public Distribution System (PDS) play in food security?
Answer:
- The government keeps food stocks from previous years to handle shortages.
- It runs the Public Distribution System (PDS) to sell food grains at lower prices.
- During crises like droughts or pandemics, PDS helps poor families get food.
- This reduces the effect of price rise and limited supply.
- Government actions ensure food stays available, accessible, and affordable.
- Thus, the state protects people from hunger and malnutrition.
Q3. Why are poor households more vulnerable to food insecurity?
Answer:
- Poor households have low and unstable income.
- When prices rise, they find food less affordable.
- Disasters like droughts, floods, or job loss hit them first.
- They lack savings and cannot buy in bulk or store food.
- Their accessibility is weak due to distance, transport, or market closures.
- So, they face higher risk of hunger, undernutrition, and starvation.
Q4. How has the concept of food security evolved from the 1970s to the 1995 World Food Summit?
Answer:
- In the 1970s, focus was on adequate supply at all times.
- Later, Amartya Sen added entitlements: what people can produce, exchange, or receive.
- This shifted attention from only supply to people’s access and purchasing power.
- The 1995 World Food Summit stressed sufficient, safe, nutritious food for all.
- It linked food security to poverty eradication.
- Thus, the idea moved from only food availability to access, safety, and rights.
Q5. Using the Bengal rice data (1938–1943), explain how production, imports, and exports affect total availability.
Answer:
- Total availability = production + imports − exports.
- In 1942, production was high (93 lakh tonnes) and exports were 1 lakh tonne, so availability was 92 lakh tonnes.
- In 1941, production was low (68), imports were small (2), so availability fell to 70 lakh tonnes.
- Small imports in 1939, 1940, and 1943 helped support supply.
- Exports reduce what is available for local people.
- So, a mix of local output, imports, and exports decides the final food available.
High Complexity (Analysis & Scenario-Based)
Q6. A state faces a drought. Production falls sharply. Explain the likely impact on food security and how PDS can help.
Answer:
- Availability falls because farms produce less.
- With less supply, prices rise, and food becomes less affordable.
- Poor households reduce meals or shift to cheaper, less nutritious food.
- Accessibility may drop if markets empty or transport fails.
- The PDS can release stocks and sell grains at low prices to protect the poor.
- Government can also increase imports and expand coverage during the crisis.
Q7. Do you think the Bengal famine was only due to a shortage of rice? Use the table and concepts to argue your view.
Answer:
- The data shows high availability in 1942 (92 lakh tonnes).
- Yet the famine struck in 1943, when availability was 79 lakh tonnes.
- This suggests more than simple shortage was involved.
- Price rise, weak distribution, and poor entitlements limited people’s access.
- The worst hit were agricultural labourers, fishermen, and casual workers.
- So, the crisis was about access and affordability, not only total food.
Q8. During a pandemic like Covid-19, movement is restricted. Even if food is available, how can people still face insecurity?
Answer:
- Accessibility drops when markets close or travel is limited.
- Many lose jobs, so affordability also falls.
- Supply chains slow, so local shops may run out of stock.
- Prices can increase, making food harder to buy.
- PDS and local delivery can improve reach to households.
- Cash support and price control can protect entitlements and buying power.
Q9. Compare 1941 and 1942 in Bengal. Why might 1942’s high availability not prevent famine in 1943?
Answer:
- In 1941, availability was low (70), showing stress in the system.
- In 1942, availability rose to 92, which looks comfortable.
- But stocks, distribution, and market control may have been weak.
- If prices rose and wages stayed low, affordability could still fall.
- Shocks can have a lagged effect, harming incomes before food reach.
- By 1943, with availability at 79 and high prices, many lost entitlements and suffered.
Q10. Suggest a simple plan to protect a village from food insecurity during floods, using ideas from the chapter.
Answer:
- Keep local stocks of grains for emergencies.
- Use PDS to supply food at low prices during the flood period.
- Identify vulnerable groups like labourers and casual workers first.
- Arrange temporary jobs or cash help to support affordability.
- Ensure market access through mobile shops or community delivery.
- Monitor prices and stop hoarding so food stays within reach of all.