Loading PDF...
Chapter Analysis
Intermediate12 pages • EnglishQuick Summary
The chapter 'Food Security in India' in the Class 9 NCERT Economics textbook covers the importance of food security and how it can be ensured. It discusses the dimensions of food security, including availability, accessibility, and affordability of food. The chapter explains the roles of government policies such as the Public Distribution System (PDS) and buffer stock in maintaining food security and details various government schemes like the National Food Security Act of 2013. It also highlights issues like hunger affected during calamities and the role of cooperatives in ensuring food security.【4:0†source】
Key Topics
- •Dimensions of Food Security
- •Public Distribution System (PDS)
- •Food Security Challenges in India
- •Government Schemes for Food Security
- •Role of Cooperatives in Food Security
- •Impact of Natural Disasters on Food Security
- •Hunger: Chronic vs Seasonal
- •Minimum Support Price and Buffer Stock
Learning Objectives
- ✓Understand the concept and importance of food security.
- ✓Identify factors affecting food security in India.
- ✓Examine government policies related to food security.
- ✓Analyze the role of different programs and schemes in enhancing food security.
- ✓Evaluate the impact of cooperatives and NGOs on food security.
- ✓Differentiate between types of hunger and their implications.
Questions in Chapter
How is food security ensured in India?
Page 53
Which are the people more prone to food insecurity?
Page 53
Which states are more food insecure in India?
Page 53
Do you believe that green revolution has made India self-sufficient in food grains? How?
Page 53
A section of people in India are still without food. Explain?
Page 53
What happens to the supply of food when there is a disaster or a calamity?
Page 53
Differentiate between seasonal hunger and chronic hunger?
Page 53
What has our government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss any two schemes launched by the government?
Page 53
Why buffer stock is created by the government?
Page 53
Write notes on: (a) Minimum support price (b) Buffer stock (c) Issue price (d) Fair price shops
Page 53
What are the problems of the functioning of ration shops?
Page 53
Write a note on the role of cooperatives in providing food and related items.
Page 53
Additional Practice Questions
Explain the concept of food security with its dimensions.
mediumAnswer: Food security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Its dimensions include availability, accessibility, and affordability.
Discuss the impact of natural calamities on food security.
mediumAnswer: Natural calamities like droughts, floods, and earthquakes disrupt food production and supply chains, increasing food prices and leading to food shortages, hence affecting food security.
What are the main features of the National Food Security Act, 2013?
easyAnswer: The Act aims to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate food at affordable prices, covering up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population. Eligible households receive foodgrains at subsidized rates【4:2†source】.
How do cooperatives enhance food security?
mediumAnswer: Cooperatives enhance food security by operating fair price shops that supply goods at reasonable prices, thus ensuring affordability for poorer populations. They play a crucial role in some regions, providing essential food items and ensuring distribution equity.
Analyze the role of the Public Distribution System in ensuring food security.
hardAnswer: The PDS is a government program aimed at distributing food grains and essential commodities at subsidized prices to the underprivileged sections of society. It helps stabilize prices and ensures that food reaches the deficit regions from surplus-producing areas.【4:8†source】
How does the concept of 'entitlements' relate to food security?
hardAnswer: Entitlements, as introduced by Amartya Sen, refer to the abilities of individuals to acquire food through legal means such as production, purchase, or social services, emphasizing that mere availability is insufficient without access.
Differentiate between chronic and seasonal hunger.
easyAnswer: Chronic hunger is long-term and results from extended periods of inadequate food intake, while seasonal hunger occurs due to fluctuations in harvest or employment opportunities, affecting food access temporarily.
Examine the effectiveness of the Integrated Child Development Services scheme in alleviating food security.
mediumAnswer: The ICDS scheme is effective in providing nutritional meals, preschool education, and healthcare to children under six and their mothers, significantly improving food security and child development outcomes.
How do buffer stocks contribute to food security?
mediumAnswer: Buffer stocks are reserves of food grains maintained by the government to stabilize markets, ensure availability in lean seasons, and manage food distribution during emergencies, thus safeguarding food security.【4:3†source】
Discuss the significance of minimum support price in agricultural production.
hardAnswer: The Minimum Support Price (MSP) provides farmers a safety net by ensuring a fixed price for certain crops, encouraging them to produce more by minimizing the risk of low market rates affecting their income.