Cabinet okays fortified rice supply under welfare schemes till Dec 2028 at Rs 17,082 cr cost
New Delhi, Oct 9: The government on Wednesday decided to continue the supply of free fortified rice under the food law and other welfare schemes till 2028 with an outlay of Rs 17,082 crore, a move aimed at reducing anaemia and micro-nutrient deficiency.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The rice fortification process involves the addition of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) enriched with micro-nutrients (iron, folic acid, Vitamin B12) as per standards prescribed by food regulator FSSAI to regular rice (custom milled rice).
Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the total financial implication to supply free fortified rice will be Rs 17,082 crore, fully funded by the Centre.
"The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the universal supply of fortified Rice under all schemes of the Government, including Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes etc in its present form, from July 2024 and up to December 2028," according to an official statement.
The rice fortification initiative will continue as a central sector initiative with 100 per cent funding by the central government as part of PMGKAY (Food Subsidy), thus providing a unified institutional mechanism for implementation, it added.
In line with the Prime Minister's address on 75th Independence Day on the necessity of Nutritional Security in the country, the government said the initiative "Supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), other welfare schemes, Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), PM POSHAN (Erstwhile MDM) in all states and Union Territories (UTs)" was taken up.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), in April 2022, decided to implement the rice fortification initiative throughout the country in a phased manner by March 2024.
All three phases have been successfully completed, and the target of universal coverage of providing fortified rice in all government schemes was achieved by March 2024.
"According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021, anaemia remains a widespread issue in India, affecting children, women, and men across various age groups and income levels.
"Besides iron deficiency, other vitamin and mineral deficiencies, such as Vitamin B12 and folic acid, also persist, impacting the overall health and productivity of the population," the government said.
Food fortification has been used globally as a safe and effective measure to address anaemia and micro-nutrient malnutrition in the vulnerable population.
Rice is an ideal vehicle for supplying micro-nutrients in the Indian context, as 65 per cent of India's population consumes rice as a staple food.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
