(i) Nutrition plays a crucial role in human health and well being.
(ii) A large number of children are stunted.
(iii) A substantial number of children and women are underweight, anemic and suffer from micro nutrient deficiencies.
(iv) The government at the centre and states governments have been channelising substantial resources into various health and nutrition schemes and programmes
(v) TamilNadu has played a pioneering role in bringing about significant changes in the health and nutritional status of children under six years of age, pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls.
(vi) The performance of the ICDS scheme and the Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Nutritious MeaI programme (PTMGRNMP) in TamilNadu are considered one of the best in the country.
Malnutrition free Tamilnadu:
(i) The Government of TamilNadu's policy for "A Malnutrition free Tam Nadu", guides the states long term multi-sectoral strategy for eliminating Malnutrition.
(ii) The goal is "reducing human Malnutrition of all types to the levels of best performing countries".
(iii) The government of Tamil Nadu is working towards the policy of 'A malnutrition-free TamilNadu'.
(iv) Its goal is reducing human malnutrition of all types to the levels of best forming countries.
(v) The ICDS has been expanded to unreached areas also.
(vi) ICDS is now considered to be one of the world's largest programmes of its kind.
The PTMGRNMP:
(i) The PTMGRNMP is considered to be the largest moon meal programme in the country.
(ii) It is combating malnutrition among children, increasing primary school enrolment and reducing dropout rates.
(iii) Other states in the country have modelled their noon meal programmes along the lines of Tamil Nadu's pioneering efforts.

a) Over population:
i) The population growth rate in India is high as 1.7 per 1000. Large population leads to increasing demand, but supply was not equal to the demand.
ii) So the normal price level will be going higher. So it affects purchasing power, especially in rural population
b) Increasing prices of essential goods:
Even though there has been a constant growth in GDP and growth opportunities in the
Indian economy, there have been steady increase in the prices of essential goods.
The continuous rise in the prices erodes the purchasing power and adversely affect the poor people
c) Demand for goods:
When demand for goods increases, the price of goods increases. Then the purchasing power is affected.
d) Price of goods affect the values of currency:
When the price increases the purchasing power decreases and finally the value of currency decreases
e) Production and supply of goods.
When the production and supply of goods decline the price of goods increases. Then the purchasing power is affected
f) Poverty and Inequality:
i) There exists a huge economic disparity in the Indian economy. The proportion of income and assets owned by top 10% of Indian goes on increasing. This has led to an increase in the poverty level in the society.
ii) Generally purchasing power is affected by poverty and unequal distribution of wealth also.

i) TamilNadu has adopted an Universal PDS the rest of the states in India had a targeted PDS.
a) Universal PDS:
i) Under Universal PDS all the family ration card holders are entitled to the supplies from PDS.
b) Targeted PDS:
i) In the targeted PDS the beneficiaries are identified based on certain criteria and given their entitlements, leaving out the rest. Both the union and the state governments subsidised the supplies distributed through PDS.
ii) The level and quantum of subsidy also varied across states,
iii) Subsequently the National Food Security Act (NFSA) was passed by the Indian Parliament in 2013.
iv) The NFSA covers 50% of urban households and 75% of the rural households.
v) These households are known as priority households identified based on a set of criteria.
vi) Priority households of this country now have the right to food supply through PDS.
vii) The Union government supplies rice at the rate of 3 per kg, wheat at the rate of 2 kg, and millets at the rate of 1 per kg under NFSA.
viii) Tamil Nadu continues to have the universal system of PDS and supplies rice at free of cost to all card holders
ix) Tamil Nadu has issued bio-metric smart family cards.

i)  After Independence, India chose to adopt a planned developmental model.
ii)  After an initial focus on agriculture, industrialisation was given priority.
iii) The recurrent droughts experienced by India 'pushed her to be dependent on imports of food grains.
iv) However her foreign exchange reserve could not permit open market purchase from foreign countries.
v) So India was pushed to be dependent on imports of food grains.
vi) India had to plead for food grains from richer countries at concessional rates
vii) United States of America came forward to help India through PL480 scheme.
viii) India with a massive population, growing hungry was perceived to be a potential candidate for revolution.
ix) The American administration and philanthropic organisations like Ford Foundation formulated a plan to increase food production by introducing high yielding variety of wheat and rice.
x) This programme was implemented in select districts where irrigation was assured.
xi)  As the results were promising, the programme was extended to a larger number of districts.
xii) Thus Green Revolution was born in India leading to self sufficiency in food grain production.