CBSE Class 9 Social Science

Important Questions
Economics Chapter-4
Food Security in India

5 marks Questions

1. Why do we need food security?

Ans. The poorest section of the society might be food insecure most of the times while
persons above the poverty line might also be food insecure during natural calamities.
During natural calamities like drought, earth quake, flood, tsunami etc, total production of
food grains decreases and we need food during such type of hazards..
It creates a shortage of food and the prices go up. At high prices some people cannot afford to
buy food.
High population growth and unequal production of food grains also led to food insecurity.
One of the major reason for which we need food security is the corrupt administrative
practice, hoarding and black marketing.

2. Write a short note on seasonal hunger.

Ans. Seasonal hunger is related to cycles of food growing and harvesting.

This type of hunger is prevalent in rural areas because of the seasonal nature of agricultural
activities and in urban areas because of the casual labour.
This type of hunger exists when a person is unable to get work for the entire year.
The pattern of this hunger persists year after year.
The percentage of seasonal hunger has declined in India from 16.2% in 1983 to 2.6% in 1999-
2000 in rural areas.

3. What are the features of Chronic hunger?

Ans. Chronic hunger is the consequence of diets persistently inadequate in terms of quantity
or quality.
Poor people suffer from chronic hunger because of their very low income and in turn,
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inability to buy food even for survival.
This is mostly seen in the rural areas.
It occurs, when people lack the opportunity to earn enough money to be educated and gain
skills to meet their basic needs.
This hunger continues for long and leads to death.
The percentage of chronic hunger has declined to 0.7 and 0.3 in 1999-2000 in rural and urban
areas respectably.

4. Which section of the population is are prone to the food insecurity?

Ans. Following are the sections of population which are prone to food security:
The SCs and STs and some sections of the OBCs, who have either poor land base or very low
land productivity are prone to food insecurity.
The people affected by natural disasters, who have to migrate to other areas in search of
work, are also among the most food insecure people. A high incidence of malnutrition
prevails among women.This is a matter of serious concern as it puts even the unborn baby at
the risk of malnutrition.Large proportion of pregnant and nursing mothers and children
under the age of 5 years constitute an important segment of the food insecure population.

5. The Famine of Bengal causes a heavy devastation’. Explain.

Ans. The most devastating famine that accrued in India was famine of Bengal in 1943.
This famine killed thirty lakhs people in the province of Bengal. Nothing like the Bengal
famine has happened in India again. The agricultural laborers, fishermen, transport workers
and other casual laborers were affected the most by dramatically increasing price if rice.
They were the ones who died in this famine.Starvation victims stayed in the relief camps.
During the Bengal Famine of 1943, families leave their villages and migrated to the safe
places.

6. Elaborate the major objectives of Academy of Development Science?

Ans. Following are the major objectives of Academy of Development Science:

In Maharashtra, Academy of Development of Science has facilitated a network of NGOs for
setting up grain banks in different regions.
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ADS organize training and capacity building programmes on food security for NGOs. Grain
Banks are now slowly taking shapes in different parts of Maharashtra.ADS efforts to set up
Grain Banks. Grain Banks facilitate replication through other NGOs and to influence the
Government’s policy on food security are thus paying rich dividends. The ADS Grain Bank
Program is acknowledged as a successful and innovative food security intervention.

7. The Cooperatives are also playing an important role in food security in the South-
Western part of India”. Explain.

Ans. Cooperatives are playing very important role in food security in India especially in the
southern and western parts of the country.
The cooperatives societies set up shops to sell low priced goods to poor people.
For example, out of all fair price shops running in Tamil Nadu, around 94 per cent are being
run by cooperatives.
Amul is another success story of cooperatives in milk and milk products from Gujarat. It has
brought about the White Revolution in the country.
Sugar Cooperative mills are also running successfully in the Southern part of India.

8. Cite evidences which explain that India is self-sufficient in food grain production.

Ans. India has become self-sufficient in food grain production during the last thirty years
This is because of a variety of crops grown all over the country.
The availability of food grains even in adverse weather conditions or otherwise, has further
been ensured with a carefully designed food security system by the government. Green
Revolution makes self-sufficient. This system of Buffer stock and public distribution system
proves very helpful in ensuring self-sufficiency in food security. The government has also
initiated other food intervention programmes like Integrated Child Development Services,
Food for Work Program, Rural Wage Employment Programs.

9. What are the criticisms faced by PDS in India?

Ans. PDS deals are found restoring to malpractices like selling the grains to the open market
to get the better margins.
Sometimes they sell poor quality grains at ration shops.
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They open their shops irregularly without considering the problems poor people.
Ration shops regularly have unsold stocks of poor quality grains left.
When ration shops are unable to sell, a massive stock of food grain piles up the Food
Corporation of India.
FCI go-downs are over flowing with grains, with some rotting away and some being eaten by
rats and insects.
There is a very little difference between the prices of goods sold at the ration shops and at
the shops of market.

10. How would you explain the different grounds on which the Public Distribution
System has faced severe criticism?

Ans. The Public distribution system has faced severe criticism on several grounds.
Instances of Hunger are prevalent despite overflowing granaries.
FCI go-downs are over flowing with grains, with some rotting away and some being eaten by
rats and insects.
There is a general consensus that high level of buffer stocks of food grains is very
undesirable and can be wasteful. The storage of massive food stocks has been responsible for
high carrying costs.Corruption by FCI officials. Black Marketing by PDS dealers.

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