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Around 4.39 crore ineligible/bogus ration cards have been weeded out across the country from 2013 to 2020 by state/UT governments, <keyword id="8907314" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-union-ministry-of-consumer-affairs">the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs</keyword>, Food and Public Distribution said on Friday. These ration cards were cancelled as part of the technology-driven PDS reforms initiated across the country to modernise <keyword id="10232502" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-targeted-public-distribution-system">the Targeted Public Distribution System</keyword> (TPDS) and to improve transparency and efficiency in operations. This was taken up through digitisation of ration cards/beneficiaries database, Aadhaar seeding, detection of ineligible/bogus ration cards, prevention of duplication of digitised data, updating migration/deaths of beneficiaries during the run-up to the implementation of NFSA. Further, the respective quota under <keyword id="9291072" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-national-food-security-act">the National Food Security Act</keyword> coverage is regularly utilised by states/UTs concerned for 'Rightful Targeting' of beneficiaries under the NFSA, i.e., inclusion/addition of other genuine and eligible beneficiaries/households by issuing new ration cards to them, while remaining within the respective ceiling limits of coverage defined for each state/UT under the Act, said the Ministry. The NFSA provides coverage for 81.35 crore beneficiaries to receive highly subsidised foodgrains through TPDS, which is nearly two third of the country's population as per the census of 2011. Presently, more than 80 crore persons in the country are receiving foodgrains (rice, wheat and coarse grains) at highly subsidised central issue prices of Rs 3, 2 and 1 per kg respectively under the NFSA on a monthly basis, the Ministry added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/isros-eos-01-satellite-launches-tomorrow-and-is-capable-of-military-surveillance-amid-india-china-border-tension/articleshow/79078095.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">India's re-named earth observation satellite to launch tomorrow — and it's capable of military surveillance</a>

Government weeds out 4.39 crore bogus ration cards since 2013: Food Ministry

New Delhi, Nov 24 () The <keyword id="6356303" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Centre">Centre</keyword> on Tuesday said it has invited <keyword id="3627663" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="farmer-unions">farmer unions</keyword> from Punjab for the second round of ministerial talks on December 3 to resolve differences over the <keyword id="10076694" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-agriculture-laws">new agriculture laws</keyword>. The meeting comes after farmer leaders laid a condition for another central ministerial meeting while calling off their 'rail roko' agitation in Punjab on Monday and lifted the nearly two-month-long blockade, allowing resumption of only goods trains. Speaking to , Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said, "We have called the representatives of over 30 farmer organisations for the second round of discussion on December 3 at Vigyan Bhawan at 11 am". The secretary has sent the invitation to the farmer bodies on behalf of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Food Minister Piyush Goyal is also expected to be present in the meeting. Officials from food and agriculture departments of the Punjab government have also been invited for the talks. The first round of talks was held on November 13, but it remained inconclusive, with both sides sticking to their ground. Punjab farmers have been demanding the repeal of the new farm laws and replace them with another set of laws framed after wider consultation with stakeholders. They also demanded a guarantee on the MSP front, as they claimed that these new laws may lead to the end of minimum support prices (MSP) procurement, which the Centre has denied. When asked about their demand on MSP, the secretary said, "Earlier laws too did not have any mention of MSP. Even the new agri-laws do not mention it. MSP is mentioned only in the National Food Security Act (NFSA) which has not been changed. Till <keyword id="89442" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Public-distribution-system">Public Distribution System</keyword> (PDS) is there, MSP will continue". The Prime Minister has also stated this and even the Union Agriculture Minister has said in Parliament that MSP will continue, he added. "We have explained in detail to farmer unions about this issue. Hopefully, we will resolve the issue with them at the December 3 meeting," he noted. LUX BAL

Centre calls Punjab farmers for second round of talks on December 3 to resolve differences over farm laws

<ul><li>The Indian Government plans to roll out the '<keyword id="7806209" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="one-nation-one-ration-card">One Nation One Ration Card</keyword>' initiative to digitise its <keyword id="89442" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Public-distribution-system">Public Distribution System</keyword> (PDS). </li><li>India's <keyword id="211957" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-food-minister">Union Food Minister</keyword> claims that the new initiative will curb corruption and be a boom for migrant labourers. </li><li>The <keyword id="7809934" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Integrated-Management-of-PDS">Integrated Management of PDS</keyword> (IMPDS) will be real time database to track monthly benefits akin to the GSTIN that's already in place to manage India's Goods and Services Tax. </li></ul>The Public Distribution System (PDS) in India, a program by the government to ensure food security for all its citizens, in undergoing some changes with the implementation of the '<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centre-to-roll-out-one-nation-one-ration-card/articleshow/69982372.cms">One Nation One Ration Card'</a> initiative. <keyword id="973" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ram-Vilas-Paswan">Ram Vilas Paswan</keyword>, the Union Food Minister, claims that the new Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS) will curtain corruption in the system by removing the chances for duplication. So, if a particular beneficiary holds more than one ration card, they will no longer be able to collect ration more than once just because they travel to a different state. The government will also be able to keep an eye on the monthly entitlements and how much of the food grains are actually being used by the beneficiaries. This holds in line with government's attempts to digitise its processes. It has already set up point-of-sale (PoS) machines at PDS shops to help with cashless transactions. Who has the most to gain? Paswan claims that migrant labourers have the most to gain from the new scheme stating, "They will have full food security. This will also provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tired to any one PDS shop." The IMPDS will be a real time database — inspired and augmented from the government's Goods and Services Tax Integrated Management (GSTIN) — that support these efforts. As of now, it's already operational in 10 Indian states — Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura. PDS is still far from perfect The importance of PDS in India lies in the fact that it allows the poor to purchase food grains from the government at prices lower than the market rate while also allowing farmers to sell their crop directly to the government as per a pegged 'fair price'. PDS has come under heavy criticism in the past of allowing food grains to go bad when they've been left in warehouses for too long without the proper storage facilities, not being efficient in delivering food grains from the warehouses to the PDS ration shops, and being unable to accurately determine how to define 'poor' as a criteria. And, because the government promises to buy all incoming grains from farmers, it can sometimes be at the cost of creating a shortage in the open market leading to higher prices for the public at large. The new system may address the problem of duplication but the issue of different departments using different criteria to determine the poor is a bane of everyone involved. In some states, like Haryana and the union territory of Puducherry, the state departments have opted for Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) — akin to the system that's already in place for LPG gas — and has seen encouraging results.

India has plans to roll out 'One Nation One Ration Card' to curtail corruption in the public distribution system

<ul><li><keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s 12-digit unique identity system will now require face recognition as a part of the two-factor security authentication.</li><li>The measure is mandatory for all Authentication User Agencies to adopt, or else face penalties. </li><li>Non-compliance will be treated as a criminal offence under Section 42 and 43 of the Aadhaar Act. </li></ul>The newest mandate by the Unique Identification Authority of India (<keyword id="6355252" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="uidai">UIDAI</keyword>) makes <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/face-recognition-to-be-must-for-all-aadhaar-authentications/articleshow/65522828.cms?from=mdr">on-the-spot live pictures</a> mandatory for any and every Aadhaar authentication. This will make the process a two-factor authentication system with a <keyword id="91912" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fingerprint">fingerprint</keyword> or iris scan being the first layer of security, and facial recognition the second. Aadhaar authentication is commonly used services in banks, <keyword id="89442" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Public-distribution-system">public distribution system</keyword>, attendance at government offices and lastly, telecom service providers for issuing a new SIM card. The latter has already been instructed to start implementing facial recognition starting September 15, 2018. The roll-out will happen in a phased manner to all the Authentication User Agencies (AUAs) over the rest of the year. And, non-compliance will be treated as a criminal offence under Section 42 and 43 of the Aadhaar Act that threatens imprisonment and a fine. The telecom operators, first in line to implement this measure, have been directed to perform at least 10% of their total authentication using facial recognition in the span of one month. Any shortfall will result in a 20 paise fine per transaction. Facial recognition feature was a long time coming with reports of Aadhaar authentication failure in the case of senior citizens or people with physical disabilities. A step towards <keyword id="107911" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Financial-inclusion">financial inclusion</keyword>, facial identification would solve the problem of keeping people from what they are rightfully entitled to like their pensions and provident funds.

The world’s largest biometric database makes face authentication mandatory

India has emerged as the world’s fastest growing economy. However, Asia’s third largest economy just ranked 97th among 118 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) released by the <keyword id="108578" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Food-Policy-Research-Institute">International Food Policy Research Institute</keyword> (<keyword id="6557928" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="ifpri">IFPRI</keyword>). This puts the country behind even <keyword id="6354759" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</keyword>, <keyword id="41896" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Iran">Iran</keyword>, <keyword id="6355112" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Iraq">Iraq</keyword>, and <keyword id="6354767" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nigeria">Nigeria</keyword> in the hunger map. 
 
India’s policy addressing hunger and malnutrition in all age groups has a feast of questions and a famine of answers. India’s hunger, being worse than any sub-Saharan country, needs crisis management and a long term vision. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Excise-duty-in-cigarette-hiked-Tobacco-farmers-in-india-are-struggling-to-make-ends-meet/articleshow/56872791.cms">ALSO READ: Excise duty in cigarette hiked. Tobacco farmers in India are struggling to make ends meet</a> 
 Be it <keyword id="4227644" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="manohar-das">Manohar Das</keyword> of <keyword id="4227647" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tewri">Tewri</keyword> village in <keyword id="6360371" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jharkhand">Jharkhand</keyword>, who works in hundred days of wage-employment or <keyword id="4227646" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="shib-baksha">Shib Baksha</keyword> of <keyword id="4227645" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="amlasol">Amlasol</keyword> village in <keyword id="61773" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Midnapore">West Midnapore</keyword> district of <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword>, who works as contract labour at nearby village, the thin line that connects them is the ignorance about ‘<keyword id="2209492" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi-Sarkar">Modi Sarkar</keyword>’. The only thing they understand by the government is getting staples at Rs 2/kg and free goodies. However, staples alone can’t fulfill nutritional needs, as a result they end up with stunted growth and other diseases. Not everyone is as lucky as them. Their neighbours, unable to procure <keyword id="49514" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="bpl">BPL</keyword> (below poverty level) identity cards and Ration Cards aren’t entitled to these basic facilities and have to starve most of the days. Only feast they can think of is ant eggs roast during the scorching summer months. 
 
 
 
India’s overall GDP growth is expected to end at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Excise-duty-in-cigarette-hiked-Tobacco-farmers-in-india-are-struggling-to-make-ends-meet/articleshow/56872791.cms">7.1% this financial year</a>, as compared to 4.6% two years back. While food still counts as the basic requirement of human existence, India is a country that not only produces enough, but ironically, there is never enough for its ever growing population to eat. Funnily, while millions go hungry, for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Excise-duty-in-cigarette-hiked-Tobacco-farmers-in-india-are-struggling-to-make-ends-meet/articleshow/56872791.cms">India storage of surplus food</a> has always been a problem. 
 
 
 
India’s hunger-management disaster 
While development in many sectors is acknowledged, what is lesser known is that India has also made considerable progress on many social fronts, such as fertility decline, expansion of schooling and bridging the gender gap in education, especially at the primary and lower secondary levels. However, there is one <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Excise-duty-in-cigarette-hiked-Tobacco-farmers-in-india-are-struggling-to-make-ends-meet/articleshow/56872791.cms">area of human development</a>, where India has been a disaster: tackling hunger and malnutrition. 
 
Child malnutrition rates in India are extraordinarily high- among the highest in the world, with nearly one-half of all children under 3 years of age being either underweight or stunted. Indeed, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Excise-duty-in-cigarette-hiked-Tobacco-farmers-in-india-are-struggling-to-make-ends-meet/articleshow/56872791.cms">child malnutrition rates </a>are higher in India than in many countries of sub-Saharan <keyword id="12925" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Africa">Africa</keyword>, even though income levels are significantly higher and levels of infant and child mortality are lower in India. 
 
 
 
Pediatric malnutrition Prevalence of child malnutrition in India has remained stubbornly high even after nearly a half-century of respectable agricultural productivity growth and two decades of post-reform economic growth and prosperity in the country. Adding more support to the view that child malnutrition is weakly correlated with income is the finding that among children of mothers with 10 or more years of schooling as well as mothers from the top income quintile, around one-quarter are underweight. Even in a relatively prosperous and dynamic state like <keyword id="6354766" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gujarat">Gujarat</keyword>, child malnutrition rates have been stagnant over the past decade. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-how-indepay-is-making-rural-india-cashless/articleshow/57232771.cms">ALSO READ: HOW INDEPAY IS MAKING RURAL INDIA CASHLESS</a> 
 The <keyword id="121300" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Family-Health-Survey">National Family Health Survey</keyword> (NFHS) found that a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-how-indepay-is-making-rural-india-cashless/articleshow/57232771.cms">significant number of adults</a> in India suffer from malnutrition. Almost 58 per cent of pregnant women aged 15-49 were found to be anaemic. The Global Food Security Index also revealed that Indians lack adequate quantities of iron, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-how-indepay-is-making-rural-india-cashless/articleshow/57232771.cms">Vitamin A and protein in their diets</a>. 
 
 
 
“Half of the children who die before five years of age have malnutrion as a cause in their pathogenesis. If we look at proportion of weight at birth, 23 per cent of children weigh less than 2.5 kg, which is below normal. This low birth weight has its reason in the womb, which is where they are malnourished already before being born. Low birth weight increases over time and so by the time they are three-years-old, half the children are malnourished. Because of poor sanitation we have widespread <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-how-indepay-is-making-rural-india-cashless/articleshow/57232771.cms">faecal oral contamination</a>. Water and food sources have high degrees of contamination and it results in diarrhoea and other gastro intestinal illnesses, which increases the child mortality rate,” said renowned public health specialist and activist Dr <keyword id="43944" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Binayak-Sen">Binayak Sen</keyword>. 
 
 
 
State of famine 
In 1943, three million people died in the infamous <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/author_articles_all.cms?query=%22Suchayan%20Mandal%22&amp;author=Suchayan-Mandal-479239841">Bengal famine</a>. There was no shortage of grain in <keyword id="6356978" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengal">Bengal</keyword> at that time, yet people had nothing to eat. Interpreting the Famine of 1943,<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/author_articles_all.cms?query=%22Suchayan%20Mandal%22&amp;author=Suchayan-Mandal-479239841"> Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen </a>suggested that the reason for it was the breakdown of the social arrangement in distributing food. To put the matter in a world context, every three seconds somewhere around the world, a child dies of causes related to avoidable malnutrition. "In those three seconds, the world armaments industry spends 120,000 USD in order to keep the system responsible safely in place,” Binayak Sen told <keyword id="824043" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Business-Insider">Business Insider</keyword>. 
 
 
 
Ignorant policies that do the most harm Skyrocketing prices of daily food items spell more woe for the people, who are already paying "too much" to survive. International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (<keyword id="1367836" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IFAD">IFAD</keyword>) Rural Poverty Report-2011 states, “While international food prices have declined since mid-2008, they are still substantially higher than prior to the price surge, and they are likely to remain at 2010 levels or higher for the next decade.” The report has suggested that about 100 million of world’s rural and urban people have to remain hungry. 
 “It will remain high, the era of cheap food is over," said <keyword id="669006" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Richard-Mahapatra">Richard Mahapatra</keyword>, managing editor of Down to <keyword id="6359982" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth">Earth</keyword>. "This is because productivity of agriculture is low and thus impacts production. This is the supply side issue. Also the rainfed areas that contribute a signifcant amount of foodgrain is not getting the policy focus. Even though the new second Green <keyword id="24385" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="revolution">Revolution</keyword> is aimed at that, it seems to be flawed. Now, the demand side. Demand is increasing but we don't have robust distribution mechanism. So, it creates further price rise. Also, there is huge diversion of agricultural lands to other uses. Combined with low productivity, less lands and absence of distribution mechanism, we are set for high price rise.” 
 Due to the PDS (<keyword id="89442" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Public-distribution-system">Public Distribution System</keyword>) and the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/author_articles_all.cms?query=%22Suchayan%20Mandal%22&amp;author=Suchayan-Mandal-479239841">public wage programmes</a> starvation deaths have definitely come down, he contended. Often we call cheap food grain programmes as populist. They are indeed popular as poor find them useful and their starvation is avoided with this entitlement. 
 
 
 
Adult malnutrition 
“Roughly 33-35 per cent of the entire Indian population have a BMI below 18.5, which is indicative of calorie malnutrition. They aren't getting enough food to eat. More than one-third of India is on a chronic basis not getting proper food to eat. Low BMI is also restricting people’s immunity,” said Binayak Sen. 
 “Without addressing nutritional status, there can be no adequate development. Food Security Act does nothing for betterment of nutritional status of the poeple as such. <keyword id="250148" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Bill">The Bill</keyword> is like 'something is better than nothing'. Five kilos of wheat per person per month make two chapattis per day. With two chapatis the nutritional question isn’t answered. This terrible nutritional deficit is yielding polarization in society,” he added. 
 
Urban malnutrition 
In villages, people stay in close bond with each other, who can be approached for help in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/author_articles_all.cms?query=%22Suchayan%20Mandal%22&amp;author=Suchayan-Mandal-479239841">times of crisis</a>. Migrating people in cities start living in slums and ghettos, where they have to live with people unknown and untrustworthy. Moreover, people fight here to make ends meet, which actually leads to self-centric attitude. 
 
Red corridor hunger 
“People who are in chronic situation and stable famine are able to withstand only because of their access to natural resources like land, water and forest," opined Binayak Sen. "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/author_articles_all.cms?query=%22Suchayan%20Mandal%22&amp;author=Suchayan-Mandal-479239841">Access to this resources was unrestricted</a>. Designating the common properties as commodities that can be owned by corporates is restricting poeple’s right to access and in a way right to live. Any form of resistance is labelled as insurgency. First they try civil ways and then take recourse in military measures. People have to confront. Application of eminent domain needs to be questioned. Under 5th schedule, govt has to ensure people’s access to natural resources but there is not a single instances of government intervening.” 
 
“They have mapped it as red corridor but poeple’s deprivation hasn't been mapped yet," said Sen. 
 
"We need to relook at the arm forces and UAPA laws. Whole discourse in election has become restricted to attitudes to development. Development is about accessing resources. Nobody is saying there are vital issues involved. What is going to happen to the poeple whose right has been denied? State will not be thwarted in its course. There needs to be a contestaion in the level of people. They need to raise the issue.” 
 
Business Insider’s Take 
Agriculture contributes around 16 per cent to<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/author_articles_all.cms?query=%22Suchayan%20Mandal%22&amp;author=Suchayan-Mandal-479239841"> India’s GDP</a>; it is coming down over the years. But still 60 per cent people depend on this. What does this mean? Is it that it is reliable as a source of livelihood or people don't have any other source thus depend on agriculture? In both the cases, shifting people out of agriculture is going to be a tough challenge. Industries or the service sectors have their own limitation and can't absorb such a huge number of people. Strategically, this will be a blunder as we kill out food self-sufficiency.

BI Investigation: India’s food nightmare is killing millions of
children across the country every day

The Indian government has decided to extend the scheme to provide free food grains to people till the festival of Diwali (November 4). The scheme was launched last year, when a lockdown had to be imposed due to the pandemic. “The government had made free food available to over 800 million people over a period of 8 months,” Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> said in his address today as he announced the extension. The programme, called Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), offered, free of cost, an additional five kilogram of rice or wheat and one kilogram of pulses, every month, to people of the lower income group via the public distribution system. While extending the programme until June 2021, the government had estimated an average cost of about ₹12,600 crore a month. The state government had reportedly lifted their full quantity of grains they were eligible for, in the month of May. At this rate, the government may, approximately, end up spending another ₹90,000 crore, on food subsidy this financial year, as the scheme gets extended until November. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/heres-why-fuel-prices-in-india-may-not-come-down-in-a-big-way/slidelist/83299743.cms">Here’s why fuel prices in India may not come down in a big way ⁠— at least not this year</a>

India extends ‘free food for poor’ programme until November

New Delhi, Apr 16 () The Delhi government's Food and Supplies Department has already distributed almost 100 percent of the entitled allocation for April among public distribution system beneficiaries to help them meet their requirements during the lockdown, an official statement said on Thursday.In Delhi, the Public Distribution System (PDS) caters to 17.50 lakh households covering 71 lakh beneficiaries, including 68,609 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households with 2.79 lakh beneficiaries.The usual monthly quota of food grains under the National Food Security Act, 2013 is 5 kg, including 4 kg of wheat and 1 kg of rice.However, recognizing the need of the hour and the restrictions in mobility of people due to the lockdown, the Delhi government has provided 7.5 kg of food grains -- 6 kg of wheat and 1.5 kg of rice -- free."The distribution of food grains for the month of April started in advance from March 28 through a network of 2017 fair price shops. Almost 100 percent of the entitled allocation has been delivered, most of which has been distributed," the government said in a statement.The government has also launched a relief initiative for providing 4 kg of wheat and 1kg of rice to all those who are in need of food but are not covered under PDS.The initiative is based on self-selection criteria where any person in need of food can apply through an online link of Janta Samvad - ration.jantasamvad.org/ration.The only document required is that the person should be in possession of an Aadhaar number issued from anywhere in the country.In order to optimally utilize available resources, 374 schools of Directorate of Education, Municipal Corporations and NDMC have been designated as distribution centers under the relief initiative.So far, more than three lakh beneficiaries have been provided food grains under it, the statement said. GVS TDSTDS

Coronavirus lockdown: Delhi govt distributes almost 100% PDS allocation for April

New Delhi, Apr 16 () The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has transported 3.74 million tonnes of foodgrains during the lockdown period across all states and Union Territories to provide grains under the Public Distribution System. "FCI has been able to move a record 3.74 Million Tonnes food grains stocks using 1335 train loads from the surplus states during the lockdown period at an average of 1.7 lakh tonnes per day. This is more than double its normal average movement of about 0.8 lakh tonnes per day," an official statement said. During the same period, 3.34 million tonnes were unloaded in the consuming states to cater to the needs of beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), which provides 5 kgs foodgrains free of cost to every beneficiary covered under the food security law for three months, a quantity of 2.56 million tonnes stocks have already been issued. Under regular allocation of foodgrains for the National Food Security Act (NFSA) schemes and other welfare schemes, 3.98 million tonnes of foodgrains have been issued during the lockdown period across the country. Put together, the total foodgrain stocks issued to cater to the needs of people covered under NFSA and other welfare schemes of the Government of India during 22 days of lockdown is 6.54 million tonnes at an average of 3.27 lakh tonnes per day. To cater to the requirements of persons not covered under NFSA, state governments have been given the choice to lift food grains at the rate of Rs 21/kg for wheat and Rs 22/kg for rice against cards already issued by them over and above NFSA cards. In addition to this, states have been given the option to buy rice at Rs 22.50/kg directly from FCI without participating in the auction process to meet any additional requirements. With an eye to keep the open market prices under check and to ensure adequate availability of wheat flour, state governments have been authorised to requisition wheat for flour mills directly from FCI at open market sale rates. MJH ABMABM

Lockdown: FCI transports 3.74 mn tonnes of foodgrains

Bhopal, Apr 20 () The Madhya Pradesh government hasplanned to procure 50 lakh low cost cotton masks andfacilitate their availability at fair price shops for publicto contain the spread of coronavirus.The government will get these masks stitched by womenfrom urban areas in the state, a public relations officialsaid on Monday.A decision on this was taken during a meeting calledon Sunday by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on thestate's preparations to fight COVID-19.The masks will be made available at all ration shopscovered under the public distribution system (PDS), theofficial said, adding that the preparation of masks would alsoprovide employment to women.In the first phase of the initiative, the governmentwill procure 50 lakh cotton masks, which will not only be costeffective but also reusable after washing, he said.Women of urban areas, who wish to engage themselves inthe mask-making activity, can get themselves registered withthe government and secure an order to make 1,000 masks, headded. ADU MASGK GK

MP govt to make available 50 lakh low cost masks at PDS shops

Mumbai, Apr 7 () Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha MPRahul Shewale on Tuesday urged Maharashtra Chief MinisterUddhav Thackeray to completely lock down Dharavi, one of themost congested urban areas in the world, in order to preventit from emerging as a COVID-19 hotpsot.The area, a massive maze of shanty colonies, smallscale units and squalor, is part of Shewale's constituency andcurrently has seven coronavirus positive persons."If the virus is not contained in Dharavi, then Mumbaiwill be in serious trouble. The spread of coronavirus can bevery fast in Dharavi due to the congestion," the Shiv Sena MPsaid."The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation must take overall hospitals and reserve them for COVID-19 patients. TheDharavi Sport Complex must be converted into a quarantinezone. A separate public distribution system must be set up forDharavi to deliver essential items. State reserve police forceshould be stationed to enforce a total lockdown," he added. MRBNM BNM

Enforce total lockdown in Dharavi, local MP tells Maha CM

New Delhi, Mar 26 () The government will supply over next three months additional 2 kg subsidised foodgrains under the PDS, taking the total monthly quota to 7 kg per person, a senior Food Ministry official said on Thursday.On Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the Food Ministry's proposed to supply extra two kilo subsidised foodgrains to over 80 crore people registered under the Public Distribution System (PDS) amid nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19.The official said the extra two kilo subsidised foodgrains over and above the existing monthly quota will be supplied for only the next three months to all ration card holders.Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price. Wheat is supplied at Rs 2/kg and rice at Rs 3/kg. LUX BALBAL

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Enforce total lockdown in Dharavi, local MP tells Maha CM

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