The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, was introduced by the Government of India to strengthen the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India, in order to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to food of sufficient quantity and quality to all beneficiaries. Before this Act, all households of India with a valid ration card received a fixed amount of commodities at a subsidised rate under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
Policy Update Aravindsamy R Background Water scarcity has emerged as one of the most pressing developmental challenges confronting India. According to NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index (2019), nearly 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress, with demand…
The Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) represents a historic commitment to bring the most disadvantaged parts of its indigenous population, specifically those belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), out of decades of underdevelopment. PM-JANMAN is a three-year mission with a multidimensional approach, committed to bringing basic needs and opportunities to the most remote areas of the country, thus closing an equity gap that has persisted for decades.
The India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025, inaugurated at the NESCO Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, marks one of the world’s largest maritime gatherings, bringing together over 100 nations, 1,00,000+ delegates, 500 exhibitors, and 350 global speakers. The week-long event thus conducted celebrates not only India’s deep maritime legacy but also its modern ambitions to become a global maritime leader by 2047.
India’s agricultural sector is the backbone of the national economy. In FY 2023-24, it contributed 17.7% to the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and employed nearly half the nation’s working population.
Despite having such a large contribution to the economy, Indian farmers continue to struggle, particularly after the harvest season. Unpredictable monsoons, changing market prices, and limited access to institutional credit often leave them with little choice but to sell their produce quickly, even at low prices.
In order to overcome these challenges, the Government of India launched the Credit Guarantee Scheme for e-NWR Based Pledge Financing (CGS-NPF) on 16 December 2024. Budgeted at ₹1,000 crore, this Central Sector Scheme is managed by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD). It is set to operate from FY 2024-25 until the end of the 16th Finance Commission cycle in 2030-31.
Policy UpdateBavleen Background The Government e‑Marketplace (GeM) portal is India’s flagship digital platform for government procurement of goods and services, launched on 9 August 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoCI) to drive greater efficiency, transparency, and inclusiveness in…
India's forests provide the first line of defence against agricultural and industrial pollution. Hence, intense policy interventions are needed to conserve and expand the forest cover of the country in view of fast-tracking climate change.