Targeted Public Distribution System: Functions|UPSC Notes

The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is a government-led initiative aimed at providing essential food items to people in need. Introduced in 1997, it replaced the earlier universal Public Distribution System. This new approach focuses on targeting specific segments of society that live below the poverty line. By ensuring that essential commodities like rice, wheat, and sugar are available at subsidized prices, the TPDS aims to enhance food security and alleviate hunger.

• The Targeted Public Distribution System provides food grains at subsidized rates to eligible households.
• It ensures that vulnerable sections of society have access to essential food items.
• The system operates through a network of fair-price shops across India.
• The scheme includes categorization of families into Above Poverty Line (APL) and Below Poverty Line (BPL).
• The TPDS contributes to the country’s goal of achieving food security.

What is Targeted Public Distribution System?

The Targeted Public Distribution System is an upgraded version of the earlier public distribution system. It focuses on delivering subsidized food grains to households that are identified as being below the poverty line (BPL). By targeting specific segments, the government ensures that the benefits reach those who need them the most. This method prevents resource wastage and ensures proper distribution to beneficiaries.

Objectives of the Targeted Public Distribution System

The Targeted Public Distribution System aims to ensure food security, reduce hunger, support rural employment, and prevent inflation by providing subsidized food grains to vulnerable sections of society. The TPDS has several key objectives:

Provide Food Security

The Targeted Public Distribution System aims to ensure food security by providing affordable food grains to families below the poverty line. By delivering essential commodities at subsidized rates, it seeks to prevent hunger, reduce malnutrition, and improve overall health among vulnerable populations across different regions of the country.

Reduce Hunger and Malnutrition

The system focuses on addressing hunger by supplying food grains to low-income households. It intends to make food accessible and affordable to poor communities, thereby contributing to the reduction of malnutrition and promoting better physical and mental development, particularly in children and women.

Support Rural Employment

By guaranteeing a consistent market for agricultural produce, the Targeted Public Distribution System indirectly supports farmers and rural employment. The steady demand for food grains through the system helps stabilize agricultural incomes, contributing to the rural economy and encouraging sustainable farming practices.

Prevent Hoarding and Inflation

TPDS controls the distribution of essential commodities, reducing the risk of hoarding and inflation. By regulating food grain supply, it aims to maintain stable market prices, ensuring that even during shortages or market fluctuations, the basic food items remain accessible and affordable to the poor.

Components of the Targeted Public Distribution System

The Targeted Public Distribution System operates through various components to ensure effective functioning. Some of the key components include:

Identification of Beneficiaries

The government conducts socio-economic surveys to identify eligible households. It categorizes them into Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) groups. This ensures that subsidies target those who are most in need, minimizing resource wastage and enhancing the efficiency of food distribution within the TPDS.

Fair Price Shops (FPS)

The system includes a network of government-licensed fair price shops across the country. These shops are responsible for distributing subsidized food grains to eligible families. They play a crucial role in maintaining a steady flow of essential commodities and act as a direct link between the TPDS and the beneficiaries.

Food Corporation of India (FCI)

The FCI is tasked with procuring, storing, and distributing food grains for the TPDS. It maintains a buffer stock to handle shortages and emergencies. The FCI ensures a consistent supply chain, working to stabilize market prices and support the agricultural sector within the TPDS framework.

Subsidized Rates

The government fixes prices of food grains for different beneficiary categories. The rates are kept low to ensure affordability for vulnerable sections of society. This pricing policy aims to reduce hunger, improve food security, and support the economic well-being of households, thereby reinforcing the goals of the Targeted Public Distribution System.

Challenges in the Implementation of the Targeted Public Distribution System

The Targeted Public Distribution System faces several challenges that impact its efficiency. Issues like beneficiary identification errors, leakage of food grains, substandard quality, and lack of awareness among eligible families hinder its objective of ensuring food security for the most vulnerable. Despite its importance, the Targeted Public Distribution System faces several challenges:

• Identification Errors: Incorrect identification of beneficiaries can result in the exclusion of deserving families and inclusion of ineligible ones.
• Leakage and Diversion: There are cases of food grains meant for TPDS being diverted to the open market, leading to corruption.
• Poor Quality of Grains: Sometimes, the quality of food grains distributed through fair-price shops is substandard, affecting the beneficiaries’ health.
• Lack of Awareness: Many eligible families are unaware of their entitlements under the TPDS.

Government Initiatives to Strengthen TPDS

The government has introduced various initiatives to strengthen the ]TPDS. These measures, including digitalization, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and awareness programs, aim to reduce corruption, ensure accurate beneficiary identification, and improve the system’s overall efficiency. The government has taken various steps to address the challenges of the TPDS:

• Digitalization: The use of technology, such as smart cards and biometric systems, ensures accurate identification of beneficiaries.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Some states have started transferring the subsidy amount directly into the bank accounts of eligible families.
• Awareness Programs: Campaigns and programs have been initiated to educate people about their rights and entitlements under TPDS.

Conclusion

The TPDS plays a crucial role in ensuring food security for millions of Indians. By targeting vulnerable sections of society, it addresses issues of hunger and malnutrition. Despite the challenges, government initiatives like digitalization and DBT have strengthened the system. Continued efforts are necessary to make TPDS more efficient, transparent, and accessible to all eligible families.

Targeted Public Distribution System UPSC Notes

1. TPDS aims to provide subsidized food grains to India’s poor, enhancing food security and reducing hunger and poverty. 2. It classifies households into Above Poverty Line (APL), Below Poverty Line (BPL), and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) to distribute food grains. 3. Food grains like rice, wheat, and sugar are provided to eligible households at fixed subsidized rates. 4. TPDS focuses on minimizing hunger and improving the nutrition of vulnerable sections of society. 5. States and Union Territories manage the identification of eligible beneficiaries under TPDS based on Central Government guidelines. 6. Leakages and inefficiencies, such as diversion of food grains, have challenged the effectiveness of TPDS in reaching the needy. 7. Reforms like end-to-end computerization and biometric authentication aim to enhance the transparency and efficiency of TPDS. 8. Despite limitations, TPDS remains a crucial part of India’s food security strategy, supporting millions of vulnerable households.

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