In an order dated November 28th 2001, the Supreme Court converted the benefits of nine food-related schemes into “legal entitlements” and directed the State governments to fully implement these schemes as per official guidelines. These schemes can broadly be divided into the following categories:
Entitlement Feeding Programmes
- Integrated Child Development Services: Covers all Children under the age of six, pregnant and lactating mothers and adolescent girls.
- Mid Day Meal Scheme: Covers all primary school children.
Food Subsidy Programmes
- Targeted Public Distribution System: Provides 35 kgs per month of subsidised food grains at half the cost of the economic price to all families identified as living below the poverty line (BPL families).
- Antodaya Anna Yojana: Provides 35 kgs of rice per month at Rs. 3/- per kilo or 35 kgs of wheat per month at Rs. 2/- per kg. This is to around 40% of the poorest of poor families.
Employment Programmes
- Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana: A Food for work programme that is being phased out and replaced by the NREGA.
- National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: Guarantees 100 days of employment at minimum wages.
Social Assistance Programmes
- National Old Age Pension Scheme: Provides a monthly pension to all BPL adults above the age of 65.
- National Family Benefit Scheme: Provides a compensation of Rs. 10,000/- in case of death of bread winner of BPL families.
- Annapurna Yojana: Provides 10 kgs of free food grain for destitute poor who are not covered under the National Old Age Pension Scheme.(this scheme is now being revised as the national old age pension scheme has been recently revised to cover poor old people.)
