Right to Food in India with Special Reference to National Food Security Act, 2013 a Socio Legal Study

सार

The right to food is fundamental to ensuring human dignity and a cornerstone for achieving socio-economic equity. In India, where hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity continue to affect millions despite significant agricultural production, the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) stands as a pivotal legal framework aimed at addressing these challenges. This socio-legal study explores the right to food in India, focusing on the NFSA as a transformative tool for ensuring food security and equity. The Act provides subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of the population, institutionalizes existing welfare schemes such as the Public Distribution System (PDS) and Mid-Day Meal Scheme, and emphasizes the empowerment of women through targeted provisions. This study critically examines the socio-economic context necessitating such legislation, analyzes its key provisions, and assesses its impact on marginalized communities, including women, children, and socio-economically disadvantaged groups. It also highlights implementation challenges such as exclusion errors, corruption, and inadequate nutrition coverage.

The analysis underscores the Act's potential to bridge socio-economic inequalities while calling for enhanced mechanisms to address operational inefficiencies and ensure holistic nutrition security. By situating the NFSA within India’s broader human rights discourse, the study argues that strengthening the right to food is crucial for advancing constitutional commitments to social justice and sustainable development.