National Food Security Act, 2013

The National Food Security Act, 2013 (also Right to Food Act) is an Act of the Parliament of India which aims to provide subsidized food grains  to 2/3rd of the people of India. It was signed into law on 12 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013.

The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA 2013) converts into legal entitlements for existing food security programmes of the Government of India. It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services scheme and the Public Distribution System. Further, the NFSA 2013 recognizes maternity entitlements. The Midday Meal Scheme and the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme are universal in nature whereas the PDS will reach about two-thirds of the population (75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas).

Under the provisions of the bill, beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System (or, PDS) are entitled to 5 kilograms (11 lb) per person per month of cereals at the following prices:

• Rice at ₹3 per kg
• Wheat at ₹2  per kg
• Coarse grains (millet) at ₹1 per kg.

Pregnant women, lactating mothers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free cereals.

Identification of Eligible Households/ The Criteria to Falls Under NFSA/ The Beneficiaries Under NFSA Identified

• The list of beneficiaries identified for NFSA 2013 is taken from the Socio Economic & Caste Census (SECC) 2011 database by applying Exclusion Parameters. 
• The Exclusion Parameters are different for rural and urban areas.
•  For urban areas, Exclusion Parameters are taken from the Report of the Hashim Committee submitted to the Planning Commission in December 2012. 
• For the rural areas, the Exclusion Parameters are taken from the Socio Economic & Caste Census Booklet for identifying the Below Poverty Line in Rural Areas issued by the Ministry of Rural Development in July 2011.

Socio Economic & Caste Census (SECC) 2011 database Excluded Households  (based on fulfilling any of the 14 parameters of exclusion) are (applicable for RURAL Areas)-

i. Motorized 2/3/4 wheeler/fishing boat.

ii. Mechanized 3-4 wheeler agricultural equipment.

iii. Kisan credit card with credit limit of over Rs. 50,000/-.

iv. Household member government employee.

v. Households with non-agricultural enterprises registered with government.

vi. Any member of household earning more than Rs. 10,000 per month.

vii. Paying income tax.

viii. Paying professional tax.

ix. 3 or more rooms with pucca walls and roof.

x. Owns a refrigerator.

xi. Owns landline phone.

xii. Owns more than 2.5 acres of irrigated land with 1 irrigation equipment.

xiii. 5 acres or more of irrigated land for two or more crop season.

xiv. Owning at least 7.5 acres of land or more with at least one irrigation equipment.

So those families are kept out if they are fulfilling the above criteria (exclusion parameter). 

Hashim Committee

There is no such uniform methodology in existence for identification of BPL households in urban areas.  the States devise their own, methodology/ criteria to conduct the BPL Surveys on the basis of state specific poverty lines for urban areas, as defined by the Planning Commission for poverty estimates from time to time. However, guidelines of Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yogana (SJSRY) stipulate applying non-monetary parameter. These relate to living conditions, comprising the following attributes:

(i) Roof of Dwelling Unit (dwelling rooms with wall of concrete or burnt bricks or stone packed with mortar, roof of concrete or burnt bricks or machine made tiles),

(ii) Floor of Dwelling Unit,

(iii) Access to Water,

(iv) Access to Sanitation,

(v) Education level,

(vi) Type of Employment, and

 (vii) status of Children in Household

Also Households possessing any one of the following assets will be excluded:

1. 4-wheeler motorized vehicle
2. A.C. set
3. Computer/laptop with internet
4. Households possessing any 3 of the following assets will be excluded:
5. Refrigerator
6. Telephone (landline)
7. Washing machine
8. 2-wheeler motorized vehicle

Apart from the parameters defined by the Hashim Committee, the Department of Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Govt. of Meghalaya, has also excluded any household with any member as Government employee to fall under NFSA 2013.