In 2014, the stock of wheat and rice with FCI was 65.3 million tonnes which was much more than the minimum buffer norms
1. The situation improved with the distribution of food grains under different schemes launched by the government.
2. There is a general consesthat high level of buffer stocks of food grains is very undersirable and can be wasteful.
3. The storage of massive food stocks has been responsible for high carrying costs, in addition to wastage and deterioration in grain quality.
4. Freezing of MSP for a few years should be considered seriously.

(a) The PDS has proved to be the most effective instrument of government policy over the years in stabilishing prices and making food available to consumers at affordable prices.
(b)It has been instrumental in averting widespread hunger and famine by supplying food from surplus regions of the country to the deficit ones.
(c) In addition, the prices have been under revision in favour of poor households in general
(d) The system, including the minimum support price and procurement, has contributed to an increase in food grain production and provided income security to farmers in certain regions.

National Food for work Programme was designed under Food-for-Work Scheme. It was launched on 14^th November 2004 in about 150 most backward districts of the country.
1. The main objective of this programme was to generate supplementary wage employment- It is open to all rural poor who desire to do manual labour for wage employement.
2. It is open to all rural poor who desire to do manual labour for wage employment 
3. This district collector is the nodel head of the programme in his/her district
4. Planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring, and supervision are the subject matter the district collector.

The food procured by the FCI is distributed through government regulated ration shops among the poorer section of the society.
1. This is called the Public Distribution System (PDS)
(a) Ration shops are now present in most localities, villages, towns and cities. There are about 5.5 lakh ration shops all over the country.
2. Ration shops also known as Fair Price Shops keep stock of food grains, sugar, kerosene oil for cooking.
3. These items are sold to people at a price lower than the market price.
4. Any family with a ration card can buy a stipulated amount of these items (e.g., 35kg of grains, 5 litres kerosene, 5 kgs of sugar etc) Every month from the nearby ration shop.​​

(a) The food insecure people are disproportionately large in some regions o the country,  such as economically backward states with high incidence of poverty tribal and remote areas, regions more prone to natural disasters etc.
(b) In fact, the states of Uttar Pradesh (eastern and south-eastern parts), Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra account for largest number of food insecure people in the country.

1. The stock of food grains in particular wheat and rice purchased by the government through Food Corporation of India (FCI) at a prefixed price from the states who have surplus stock.
2. These stocks are then distributed to areas which have scarce production and to the poor people at a lower price than the market price through Public Distribution System (PDS). So for these reasons the government creates buffer stock.

No, the foodgrain production increase is not consistent in India since 2000-01. The foodgrain production declined in 2002-03 and then again increased in 2003-04, 2005-06, 2009-10 and 2013-14

Agriculture is a seasonal activity because it takes 4-5 months period for plant consolidation and maturing in a year. This means that there will be no work on the farm

Poor and BPL families are most vulnerable to food insecurity. This situation arises when there is less production of foodgrains or the system of distribution of foodgrains.