How is food security ensured in India?

Food security is ensured in a country when the three dimensions of food security are taken care of.
The three dimensions are
(i) Availability of Food Presence of enough food for all the persons.
(ii) Accessibility of Food Absence of barrier on access to food.
(iii) Affordability of Food Capability of all persons to buy food of acceptable quality.
Food security has been ensured in India because of the following factors
(i) Self-sufficiency of Food grains India has become self-sufficient in food grains (as was its aim since independence) during the last 30 years. This has been because of a variety of crops grown all over the country.
(ii) Food security system The availability of food grains has been ensured by the government with the help of a carefully designed ’ food security system.
This system involves the maintenance of a buffer stock of food grains and the distribution of this food among the poorer sections of the society with the help of a Public Distribution System (PDS).
(iii) Implementation of several poverty-alleviation programmes having an explicit food security component Apart from the distribution of food through fair price shops, the government has come up with several poverty-alleviation programmes that enhance food security, e.g. Mid-day Meals and Food For Work (FFW).
(iv) Involvement of Cooperatives and NGOs In addition to the role of the government in ensuring food security, various cooperatives and NGOs are also working intensively in this direction. Mother Dairy and Amul are two examples of cooperatives involved in ensuring food security.