Describe in brief the various steps taken by the government for ensuring food security in India.

The Government of India has taken following steps to ensure food security in the
country:
(i) Rationing was introduced in the 1940s, against the backdrop of the Bengal famine of 1943.
(ii) Rationing system was revived in independent India during the acute food shortage in 1960s.
(iii) In the mid-1970s, three important food intervention programmes were introduced. These were – Public Distribution System for food grains, Integrated Child Development Services and Food-for-Work.
(iv) Various Poverty Alleviation Programmes (PAPs) mostly in rural areas have been
introduced. These have an explicit food component also. While PDS and mid-day meals are exclusively for food security programmes, most of the PAPs too enhance food security. Employment programmes greatly contribute to food security by increasing the income of the poor.