Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

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Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY; transl. Prime Minister's Food Security Scheme for the Poor) is a food security welfare scheme announced by the Government of India on March 26 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. [1] The program is operated by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. But the nodal ministry is Ministry of Finance.The scale of this welfare scheme makes it the largest food security program in the world benefiting 81.35 crore (approximately 56.81% population) in India. [2] [3]

Contents

The scheme aims to feed the poorest citizens of India by providing grain through the Public Distribution System, to all the priority households (ration card holders and those identified by the Antyodaya Anna Yojana scheme). PMGKAY provides 5 kg of rice or wheat (according to regional dietary preferences) per person and 1 kg of dal to each family holding a ration card. [4] The Union Budget 2022-23 allocated a sum of Rs. 2 Lakh Crores for the scheme in fiscal year 2022-23. [5]

Statistics

[6] [7] [8]

PhaseMonth-YearProject Fund (Cr.)Quantity of food planned to be served(Lakh Metric Ton)Quantity of food served (Lakh Metric Ton)No. of Beneficiaries (Cr.)
IApr-June 2020106000321298.875
IIJuly-Nov 2020
III [9] May-June 20212500079.4675.275.18
IV [10] July-Nov 202162380198.78186.72
  • In July 2021, 74.93
  • In Aug 2021, 74.95
  • In Sep 2021, 75.01
  • In Oct 2021, 74.55
  • In Nov 2021, 74.04
V [11] [12] Dec 21 - Mar 2253342159115.03
  • In Dec 2021, 73.60
  • In Jan 2022, 74.50
  • In Feb 2022, 63.10
  • In Mar 2022, 19.57
VI [13] Apr - Sep, 202280000244Approximately 80crores
VII [14] Oct - Dec, 202244762122.76 [15]
Total [16] 28 Months3.91 Lakhs crore ~1118 LMT~Approximately 80Crores

Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, 35 kg of food grains were provided to families, Whom holding Antyodaya ration cards and 5 kg food grains per person to families holding Priority distribution cards at subsidized rates. [17]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that an additional 5 kg of food grains would be provided for free of cost to each person in the household those holding an Antyodaya and Priority ration card. where Anthyodaya and Priority ration card holders had been receiving subsidized food grains under the Prime Minister's Food Security Scheme for the Poor along with the regular distribution of food grains. Under PMGKAY, 1121 metric tonnes of food grains were distributed in seven phases from April 2020 to December 2022 at a cost of Rs 3.9 lakh crore. [18]

The Central Government, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), has decided to continue providing free food grains till December 2028. This includes Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries.The schemes extend to 57% of the population (813.5 million out of approximately 1.43 billion in 2024). The entitlement remains 35 kg of food grains per AAY household per month and 5 kg of food grains per person per month for PHH beneficiaries. [19] [20]

The annual food subsidy borne by Government of India towards distribution of food grains to AAY households and PHH beneficiaries, Other Welfare Schemes and Tide Over is to the tune of Rs. 2.13 lakh crore. Assuming growth in Economic cost, the Central Government will spend approx Rs11.80 lakh crore during the period of five years from January 2024 to December 2028 as food subsidy under PMGKAY, to remove the financial burden of the poor and the poorest of the poor. [21]

Overview

The scheme was initially launched on 26 March 2020 with an announcement by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who announced the program as part of the existing Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana welfare initiative in his first address to the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, the scheme was launched for the period from April—June 2020, with a cost of 1.70 lakh crore (US$20 billion) to the exchequer. [22]

The scheme was further extended to November 2020 in a later address to the nation by Modi. By the end of May 2020, the food ministry estimated that the program had reached 740 million beneficiaries. Praising the program, a government official noted the coverage under the welfare scheme as "impressive". [23] Another union minister commented on the scheme, saying: "This will ensure no one sleeps hungry in the country..." [24]

As the initiative was due to expire by the end of June 2020, ten states in the country requested an extension of the time frame. [25] This was confirmed by Modi in his sixth address to the nation since the onset of COVID-19 in India. With consideration to the upcoming festival season in India, Modi announced the extension of PMGKAY up to November 2020, which according to government estimates would benefit 800 million beneficiaries. He further noted that the program would incur an additional expenditure of 90,000 crore (US$10 billion) for its extension. The scale of the scheme makes it the biggest food security program in the world. [3] Reporting on Modi's speech, the Financial Express claimed the scheme "could feed 2.5 times the US population, 12 times the UK population, and twice the European Union's population". [26] Modi thanked the "hardworking farmers and honest taxpayers" in his speech for the success of the scheme. [27] Immediately after Modi's announcement, the Home Minister of India, Amit Shah, called a meeting of the Group of Ministers to ensure the smooth implementation of the scheme. [28]

In response to the states' request for an extension of the food security program, Minister for Food Supplies Ram Vilas Paswan further commented that another flagship scheme of the government, "One Nation - One Ration Card", is being planned and scheduled to be launched in March 2021. The new proposed scheme is devised to cater especially to migrant laborers to help them receive subsidized grain from any "fair price" shops across the country. [25]

Initial problems in distribution due to lockdown and corruption at ground level

Data released after PM Modi's speech from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution revealed that initially in many staates the free grain failed to be distributed to intended recipients due to nationwide lockdown, strict restrictions on movement, corruption among food dealers and village council members. Both Goa and Telangana distributed no grain at all with a further 11 (Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and Tripura) distributing less than 1% of their allocated amount in April and May 2020. A further six (Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, and Ladakh) also distributed zero grain in June 2020. [29] [30]

Ram Vilas Paswan, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said that "Some states are not distributing grain to the poor. [We] have problem in providing foodgrain to states, so when it is being given free, I don't understand the problem in distribution. We are taking this issue seriously". The Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey blamed a lack of migrant workers for the failure to distribute grains. The director of Oxfam India, Ranu Bhogal, blamed corruption among food dealers and village council members. [29]

However, the situation improved significantly from the last quarter of 2020, when procurement and distribution reached an all-time high and have remained at that level ever since. [31] [32]

To curb leakage and corruption in grain distribution at the ground level, the government implemented Aadhaar linkage to ration cards along with fingerprint and OTP-based authentication during distribution which ensures that only eligible beneficiaries receive the grains, while all duplicate or fraudulent ration cards are deactivated from the system. This overhaul of the system, which serves 80.6 crore beneficiaries, has led to the removal of 5.8 crore fake ration cards through Aadhaar-based authentication and electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification. [33]

According to the Union Food Ministry, nearly all 20.4 crore ration cards have been digitised, with 99.8 per cent linked to Aadhaar and 98.7 per cent beneficiaries' credentials verified through biometric authentication. [34]

Success

As per a study conducted by International Monetary Fund, published on 5 April 2020, found that extreme poverty (less than PPP USD 1.9 per person per day) in India is less than 1 per cent in 2019 and it remained at that level even during the COVID-19 pandemic year 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's food security scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, has been critical in preventing any increase in extreme poverty levels in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new IMF paper, Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India, presented estimates of poverty (extreme poverty PPP USD 1.9 and PPP USD3.2) and consumption inequality in India for each of the years 2004-5 through the pandemic year 2020-21. These estimates include, for the first time, the effect of food subsidies on poverty and inequality. Extreme poverty was as low as 0.8 per cent in the pre-pandemic year 2019, and food transfers were instrumental in ensuring that it remained at that low level in the pandemic year 2020. Post-food subsidy inequality at .294 is now very close to its lowest level of 0.284 observed in 1993/94. A low level of extreme poverty in two consecutive years, and one including the pandemic, can be considered as an elimination of extreme poverty. The PMGKAY was critical in preventing any increase in extreme poverty levels in India and the doubling of food entitlements worked substantially in terms of absorbing the COVID-19 induced income shocks on the poor, said the IMF report.Under the PMGKAY, free food grain is provided to those in need. The scheme was kickstarted in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and it was extended till December 2028. The scheme entails providing 5 kg foodgrains per person per month, over and above the regular monthly NFSA foodgrains. The benefit is being provided to those covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) [Antodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Households] including those covered under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The government had in March 2020 announced the distribution of additional free-of-cost foodgrains (rice/wheat) to about 80 crore National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries in the wake of the situation created by COVID-19 so that the vulnerable households do not suffer on account of non-availability of adequate foodgrains. The pandemic shock is largely a temporary income shock, said the IMF report, adding that a temporary fiscal policy intervention was the fiscally appropriate way to absorb a large part of the shock. Consumption growth (an important determinant of poverty) was found to be higher in 2014-19 than the robust growth observed in 2004-2011. The paper also examined, in some detail, the plausibility of the results contained in the NSS consumer expenditure survey of 2017-18. [35] [36] [37]

The Central Government, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has decided to continue to provide free food grains to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries (i.e. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries) for a period of next five years with effect from 1st January, 2024, as per their entitlement (i.e. 35 kg of food grains per AAY household per month and 5 kg of food grains per person per month in case of Priority Household) till December 2028. [38]

The schemes extend to 57% of the population (813.5 million out of approximately 1.43 billion in 2024). More than 750 million beneficiaries have received foodgrains every month during implementation of PMGKAY in FY 2020-21, 2021-22. Similar distribution pattern is expected in the foodgrains distribution under PMGKAY implementing during FY 2022-23. Based on concurrent evaluation reports received from Monitoring Institutes (MIs) from 30 States/UTs, 98% of the surveyed households reported to receive their full entitlement under PMGKAY. [39] [40]

Related Research Articles

India has a robust social security legislative framework governing social security, encompassing multiple labour laws and regulations. These laws govern various aspects of social security, particularly focusing on the welfare of the workforce. The primary objective of these measures is to foster sound industrial relations, cultivate a high-quality work environment, ensure legislative compliance, and mitigate risks such as accidents and health concerns. Moreover, social security initiatives aim to safeguard against social risks such as retirement, maternity, healthcare and unemployment while tax-funded social assistance aims to reduce inequalities and poverty. The Directive Principles of State Policy, enshrined in Part IV of the Indian Constitution reflects that India is a welfare state. Food security to all Indians are guaranteed under the National Food Security Act, 2013 where the government provides highly subsidised food grains or a food security allowance to economically vulnerable people. The system has since been universalised with the passing of The Code on Social Security, 2020. These cover most of the Indian population with social protection in various situations in their lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Distribution System (India)</span> Indian food security system

The Public Distribution System (PDS) is a food security system that was established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to distribute food and non-food items to India's poor at subsidised rates. Major commodities distributed include staple food grains, such as wheat, rice, sugar and essential fuels like kerosene, through a network of fair price shops established in several states across the country. Food Corporation of India, a government-owned corporation, procures and maintains the PDS.

Uttar Pradesh food grain scam took place between years 2002 and 2010, in Uttar Pradesh state in India, wherein food grain worth 350 billion (US$4.0 billion), meant to be distributed amongst the poor, through Public Distribution System (PDS) and other welfare schemes like Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Jawahar Rozgar Yojana and Midday Meal Scheme for Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders, was diverted to the open market. Some of it was traced to the Nepal and Bangladesh borders, as in 2010 security forces seized Rs 11.7 million worth of foodgrains like paddy and pulses being smuggled to Nepal, another Rs 6062,000 worth of grains were confiscated on the Indo-Bangladesh border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana</span> Government-sponsored Health Insurance Programme in India

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana is a government-run health insurance programme for the Indian poor. The scheme aims to provide health insurance coverage to the unrecognised sector workers belonging to the BPL category and their family members shall be beneficiaries under this scheme. It provides for cashless insurance for hospitalisation in public as well as private hospitals. The scheme started enrolling on April 1, 2008 and has been implemented in 25 states of India. A total of 36 million families have been enrolled as of February 2014. Initially, RSBY was a project under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Now it has been transferred to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from April 1, 2015

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana</span> Indian social welfare programme

Pradhan Mantri Gramin Aawas Yojana is a social welfare programme under the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, to provide housing for the rural poor in India. A similar scheme for urban poor was launched in 2015 as Housing for All by 2022. The scheme was officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 November 2016 from Agra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pradhan Mantri Matri Vandana Yojana</span> Indian maternity benefit programme

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), previously known as the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana, is a maternity benefit program run by the government of India. It was originally launched in 2010 and renamed in 2017. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age or above for the first live birth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Food Security Act, 2013</span> Act of 2013 which enabled food security

The National Food Security Act 2013, also known as Right to Food Act, is an Indian Act of Parliament which aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two thirds of the country's 1.4 billion people. It was signed into law on 12 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ration card (India)</span> Ration Card

Ration cards are an official document issued by state governments in India to households that are eligible to purchase subsidised food grain from the Public Distribution System under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). They also serve as a common form of identification for many Indians.

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is a government-backed accident insurance scheme in India. It was originally mentioned in the 2015 budget speech by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in February 2015. It was formally launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 May in Kolkata.

Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana is a Government-backed life insurance scheme in India. It was originally mentioned in the year 2015 budget speech by the then-Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley in February 2015. It was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May 2015 in Kolkata. As of May 2015, only 20% of India's population has any kind of insurance, this scheme aims to increase the number.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atal Pension Yojana</span> Indian national pension scheme

Atal Pension Yojana, formerly known as Swavalamban Yojana is a government-backed pension scheme in India, primarily targeted at the unorganised sector. It was mentioned in the year 2015 Budget speech by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May 2015 in Kolkata. Its main objective is to help towards economic security of those people who become depressed after their working age and take retirement from professional life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana</span> Housing initiative in India

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) is a credit-linked subsidy scheme by the Government of India to facilitate access to affordable housing for the low and moderate-income residents of the country. It envisaged a target of building 2 crore (20 million) affordable houses by 31 March 2022. It has two components: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(Urban) (PMAY-U) for the urban poor and Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) (PMAY-G and also PMAY-R) for the rural poor, the former administered by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the latter by Ministry of Rural Development. This scheme converges with other schemes to ensure that houses have a toilet, Saubhagya Scheme for universal electricity connection, Ujjwala Yojana LPG connection, access to drinking water and Jan Dhan banking facilities, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana</span> Indian agricultural insurance scheme

The Pradhan Mantri fasal bima yojana (PMFBY) launched on 18 February 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an insurance service for farmers for their yields. It was formulated in line with One Nation–One Scheme theme by replacing earlier two schemes Agricultural insurance in India#National Agriculture Insurance Scheme and Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme by incorporating their best features and removing their inherent drawbacks (shortcomings). It aims to reduce the premium burden on farmers and ensure early settlement of crop assurance claim for the full insured sum.

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Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 1 May 2016 to distribute 50 million LPG connections to women of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. A budgetary allocation of 80 billion (US$920 million) was made for the scheme. The scheme was replaced by the Ujjwala Yojana 2.0 in 2021. Although the scheme has expanded access to clean cooking technologies, the use of polluting fuels remains common, particularly in rural India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana</span> Indian government program


Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) or otherwise known as Pradhan Mantri Youth Training Program is a skill development initiative scheme of the Government of India for recognition and standardisation of skills.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016 (PMGKY) is a scheme launched by the Narendra Modi led Government of India in December 2016 on the lines of the Income declaration scheme, 2016 (IDS) launched earlier in the year. A part of the Taxation Laws Act, 2016, the scheme provides an opportunity to declare unaccounted wealth and black money in a confidential manner and avoid prosecution after paying a fine of 50% on the undisclosed income. An additional 25% of the undisclosed income is invested in the scheme which can be refunded after four years, without any interest.

Saubhagya Scheme or Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana was an Indian government project to provide electricity to some households. The project was announced in September 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said that the aim was to complete the electrification process by December 2018. Certain households identified via the Socio-economic and Caste Census (SECC) of 2011 will be eligible for free electricity connections, while others will be charged Rs. 500. On 16 November 2017, the government launched a website saubhagya.gov.in to disseminate information about the scheme. The total outlay of the project is Rs. 16, 320 crore while the Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) is Rs. 12,320 crore. The beneficiary household will get One LED lights, one DC power plug. It also includes the Repair and Maintenance of Meter Only (R&M) for 5 years. The scheme was closed in March 2022 since the target of 100% electrification was met.

Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana is a universal health coverage scheme launched by Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik. The program extends coverage to approximately 70 lakh families, with the state government allocating a budget of 250 crore rupees. Services:

  1. Free health services are available in all state government health care facilities, starting from the subcenter level up to the district headquarter hospital level, with Swasthya Mitras deployed at help desk.
  2. Annual health coverage of Rs 5 lakhs per family and 7 lakhs per female members of the family.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is an initiative by the government of India that give farmers up to 6,000 (US$69) per year as minimum income support. The initiative was announced by Piyush Goyal during the 2019 Interim Union Budget of India on 1 February 2019. The scheme has cost 75,000 crore per annum and came into effect December 2018.

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