Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
3. Critically analyse the effectiveness of government policies and programs to tackle the food crisis during COVID 19 pandemic in India. (250 words)
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article highlights the lessons from India’s food security response.
Key Demand of the question:
Critically analyse the effectiveness of government policies and programs to tackle the food crisis during COVID 19 pandemic in India.
Directive:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with a fact such as; India has made enormous progress in food production over the years, with an inspiring journey towards self-sufficiency in food production marked by the Green Revolution. In 2020, India produced over 30 crore tonnes of cereals and had built up a food stock of 10 crore tonnes.
Body:
The answer body must analyse in detail the food policies by the government amidst the pandemic times.
Key measures initiated by the Union government included allowing the States to lift their allocations for six months in one go, in anticipation of a surge in demand for foodgrain through the public distribution system.
As data shows, there was an unprecedented spike in the uptake of subsidized and free food grains during the lockdown. The public distribution system became a lifeline for millions hit by the pandemic.
Discuss the challenges faced.
Conclusion:
Suggest way ahead and conclude.
