What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013 ? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India?(Answer in 250 words)

The National Food Security Act, 2013 transformed food support from a welfare policy into a rights-based entitlement, while retaining the PDS as its principal delivery channel.

Salient features

• It covers up to 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population, with priority households entitled to subsidised cereals.
• Antyodaya households receive higher entitlement; pregnant women, lactating mothers and children receive nutrition and maternity benefits.
• It mandates meal programmes, food-security allowance on failure of supply, grievance redressal and transparency obligations.
• It gives women an important role as household heads for ration cards and creates state food commissions.

Contribution to hunger reduction

• Regular grain access cushions poor households against price shocks, unemployment and disasters.
• School meals and anganwadi nutrition support child calorie intake, attendance and early development.
• Portability, digitisation and expanded delivery during the pandemic improved reach for migrants and vulnerable families.

Remaining challenges

• Coverage is tied to outdated population estimates; exclusion, leakages, cereal-centric diets and biometric failures persist.
• Malnutrition also requires protein, micronutrients, sanitation, health care and maternal education.

Rights-based entitlement; priority household; Antyodaya; PDS; ICDS; school meals; food allowance; nutrition security.