The proposed amendment to the National Food Security Act appears to correct one inequity while creating another. By replacing the existing 35 kg household entitlement with a per person allocation capped at the same 35 kg, the Government effectively reduces foodgrain support for millions of the poorest households, particularly elderly couples, widows, persons with disabilities and small nuclear families. Poverty is determined by economic vulnerability, not merely by family size, and reducing food support for these groups undermines the very objective of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana.

More importantly, the amendment fails to address the real challenges confronting India’s food security system. It leaves untouched the outdated 2011 Census based beneficiary lists that exclude millions of eligible families, retains the arbitrary 35 kg ceiling for larger households, and ignores the need for nutritional diversification beyond cereals. Instead of expanding food security and strengthening the right to food, the proposal merely redistributes scarcity among the poorest citizens.