Food Security and the Public Distribution System among Tribal Populations: A Study of Sonbhadra District

Food security is a significant issue in India particularly in the tribal groups who are still struggling with severe nutritional problems. Over a fifth of the population of the Sonbhadra District is of Scheduled Tribes. Through forest produces and small-scale farming, most of these families earn their living. They are been assisted by the Public Distribution System (PDS) which supplies them with subsidized grains, yet, the distance and lack of connectivity make it difficult to access it. The given paper will examine the PDS effectiveness in enhancing food security in Sonbhadra. It is examined based on the Census 2011, NFHS-5 (201921), the Uttar Pradesh Food Department, and NITI Aayog reports and GIS mapping platforms, such as Bhuvan and OpenStreetMap to indicate disparities. The coverage of PDS is low in places like Dudhi with only an estimated four out of five households being covered by a PDS within a radius of five kilometers. Prior to a transition to the digital systems, the supply leakages were between 15 and 20 percent. The things are a bit better now due to the electronic point-of-sale devices, yet the image is still unequal. The level of malnutrition remains serious with stunting prevalence at 44.5 percent among children below the age of five years old. PDS grains are supplying approximately 30-40 percent of the daily calories in lean seasons. Nevertheless, biometric problems in poorly connected zones continue to cut off access to many. The research suggests mobile ration vans, GIS based targeting, and enhanced interconnection of PDS and ICDS services. The PDS is still critical but flawed. Reforms that are conducted at a local level are required to make sure that the tribal households are able to achieve permanent access to food and nutrition.