List the main pillars of India’s food security framework under the NFSA 2013 and explain the role of POSHAN 2.0.
Subtopic: Agriculture · Food security
How to structure your answer
Introduction: National Food Security Act 2013 covers 67% of population; POSHAN Abhiyaan launched 2018; POSHAN 2.0 (Mission Saksham Anganwadi) merged ICDS, POSHAN, Scheme for Adolescent Girls in 2021.
Body: 1) Pillars — entitlement (5 kg/person), AAY 35 kg/household, Mid-Day Meal/PM POSHAN. 2) POSHAN 2.0 — Saksham Anganwadis (2 lakh upgraded), Take Home Ration, IT-Poshan Tracker (10+ crore beneficiaries). 3) NFHS-5 stunting 35.5%, wasting 19.3%.
Way forward: Millet inclusion in PDS under International Year of Millets 2023 follow-through; fortify wheat-rice; convergence with Jal Jeevan Mission for nutrition outcomes.
Written within the word limit
136 words · target 150 words · 9 min
Introduction: The National Food Security Act 2013 covers 67% of India's population — 81.35 crore beneficiaries; POSHAN 2.0 (Mission Saksham Anganwadi) merged ICDS, POSHAN Abhiyaan and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls in 2021 under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Body: First, NFSA's three pillars are entitlement-based grain (5 kg/person/month), AAY's 35 kg/household for 1.5 crore households, and PM POSHAN (rebranded Mid-Day Meal scheme since September 2021). Second, POSHAN 2.0 operates through 2 lakh upgraded Saksham Anganwadis, Take Home Ration, and the Poshan Tracker IT platform covering 10+ crore beneficiaries with real-time growth monitoring. Third, NFHS-5 stunting at 35.5% and wasting at 19.3% mark the unfinished nutrition agenda, with Anaemia Mukt Bharat layered on top.
Way forward: Mainstream millets in PDS following the International Year of Millets 2023, expand rice fortification under MoCAFPD, converge POSHAN 2.0 with Jal Jeevan Mission for WASH outcomes, and target SDG-2 zero hunger by 2030.
What an examiner expects to see
- NFSA 2013 — 67% population
- POSHAN 2.0 (Mission Saksham Anganwadi) 2021
- Poshan Tracker 10+ crore beneficiaries
- NFHS-5: stunting 35.5%, wasting 19.3%
- PM POSHAN (rebranded Mid-Day Meal) since Sep 2021
- AAY — 35 kg/household
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Saksham Anganwadi 2 lakh upgrade
- International Year of Millets 2023
- Anaemia Mukt Bharat
- Fortified rice in PDS