The question asks about the primary aspect of food security, specifically focusing on domestic availability. Food security, in its broadest sense, means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The first step towards achieving this is ensuring that food is actually produced or available within the country's borders.
Food grains (like rice, wheat, maize, millets) form the staple diet for a vast majority of the world's population, especially in developing countries like India. Their domestic availability is crucial for meeting the basic caloric and nutritional needs of the population. Ensuring a sufficient supply of food grains through domestic production or imports is the foundational pillar of food security.
The question asks to identify the correct reasons for persistent and high food inflation in India. We need to evaluate each given statement based on economic trends and agricultural realities in India.
Evaluate Statement 1: "Due to a gradual switchover to the cultivation of commercial crops, the area under the cultivation of food grains has steadily decreased in the last years by about 30%."
Evaluate Statement 2: "As a consequence of increasing income, the consumption patterns of the people have undergone a significant change."
Evaluate Statement 3: "The food supply chain has structural change."
Based on the evaluation, statements 2 and 3 are correct.
Correct Option: B) 2 and 3 only
The question asks to identify the indicators used by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to compute the Global Hunger Index (GHI) Report. This requires knowledge of the methodology behind the GHI.
C) 1, 2 and 3. All three indicators—undernourishment, child stunting, and child mortality—are components of the Global Hunger Index. The fourth component is child wasting.
The question asks to identify the WRONG statements regarding the purposes of government-held food grain stocks in India. We need to evaluate each statement to determine if it accurately describes a function of these stocks. If a statement is a correct purpose, it is not a "WRONG statement". If all statements are correct purposes, then there are no wrong statements.
D) None of the above — All the statements (a, b, and c) correctly describe the functions and objectives of government-held food grain stocks in India. These stocks serve as a buffer against natural calamities, help in price stabilization, and are crucial for the Public Distribution System. Since the question asks to identify the WRONG statements, and all given statements are correct, the answer is "None of the above".
The question asks about the primary responsibility for procuring food grains in India. This involves identifying the specific government body or organization tasked with this crucial function as part of the country's food security system.
C) Food Corporation of India — The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is the principal agency of the Government of India responsible for the procurement, storage, and distribution of food grains. It procures food grains directly from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) to ensure food security and stabilize prices.
The question asks to identify the correct statements regarding the 'Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion' (INSIMP). We need to evaluate each statement based on the objectives and features of this government scheme.
C) 1 and 2 only. Statements 1 and 2 accurately describe the objectives and beneficiaries of the 'Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion'. Statement 3 misrepresents the scheme's primary target and incentive mechanisms.