NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Economics Chapter 4 Food Security in India
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Economics Chapter 4 covers Dimensions of Food Security, Need for Food Security, Food Insecurity, Buffer Stock, Public Distribution System (PDS), and Role of Cooperatives.
Overview of Topics & Subtopics (Click to Jump)
1. Concept & Dimensions of Food Security
Short Note:
• Food Security: Means availability, accessibility, and affordability of food to all people at all times.
• Three Dimensions:
1. Availability: Food production in country plus food imports and previous years' stocks.
2. Accessibility: Food is within reach of every person.
3. Affordability: An individual has enough money to buy sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.
• Hunger Types:
• Chronic Hunger: Consequences of diets persistently inadequate in terms of quantity and/or quality.
• Seasonal Hunger: Related to cycles of food growing and harvesting (common in rural areas during agricultural off-season).
2. Food Security System in India: Buffer Stock & PDS
Short Note:
India maintains food security through two main components:
• Buffer Stock: Stock of food grains (wheat and rice) procured by the government through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) at Minimum Support Price (MSP) from surplus states.
• Public Distribution System (PDS): Distribution of food grains procured by FCI through government-regulated fair price shops (ration shops) at subsidized rates (Issue Price) to poor families.
• Ration Cards: Antyodaya cards (poorest of poor), BPL cards (below poverty line), and APL cards (others).
3. Role of Cooperatives & NGO Interventions
Short Note:
• Cooperatives: Play a vital role in food security in India, especially in the southern and western parts (e.g., Amul in Gujarat, Mother Dairy in Delhi, Academy of Development Science in Maharashtra).
• They set up fair price shops to sell goods at controlled prices and set up grain banks in rural areas to prevent food shortages.
Intext & Conceptual Questions
2. Accessibility of Food: Food should be within reach of every individual.
3. Affordability of Food: Individuals should have sufficient economic capacity to purchase nutritious food.
| Chronic Hunger | Seasonal Hunger |
|---|---|
| Caused by persistently inadequate diets in terms of quantity or quality. | Caused by seasonal cycles of crop cultivation and harvest. |
| Prevalent among extremely poor people who lack purchasing power continuously. | Prevalent among rural agricultural labor during off-seasons or urban casual labor during rainy seasons. |
Textbook Chapter End Exercise Questions
1. Buffer Stock Creation: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) purchases wheat and rice from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) to maintain reserves.
2. Public Distribution System (PDS): Distributes food grains through a nationwide network of fair price shops at subsidized issue prices.
3. Targeted Welfare Schemes: Programs like Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Mid-Day Meal scheme, and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY).
• Minimum Support Price (MSP): Pre-announced price paid by the government/FCI to farmers for purchasing their crops prior to the sowing season to ensure fair returns and encourage production.
• Issue Price: The lower, subsidized price at which the government distributes buffer stock food grains to the poorer sections of society through ration shops.
1. Fair Price Outlets: In states like Tamil Nadu, nearly 94% of fair price shops are run by cooperatives.
2. Milk & Dairy Supply: Amul in Gujarat transformed dairy cooperative networks, ensuring nationwide milk availability; Mother Dairy in Delhi provides milk and vegetables at controlled rates.
3. Grain Banks: Organizations like Academy of Development Science (ADS) in Maharashtra facilitate NGOs to set up Grain Banks in different regions to prevent starvation during lean months.
Read More & Chapter Resources
These short notes are designed for quick revision. Read the main points once, then use the related material below to practise the same chapter. Revising a concept and checking it with questions can make your preparation more focused.