Discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Advantages : The advantages of the PDS are as follows:
(a) The PDS has proved to be the most effective instrument of government policy over the years in stabilising prices and making food available to consumers at affordable prices.
(b) It has been instrumental in averting widespread hunger and famine by supplying food from surplus regions of the country to the deficit ones.
(c) In addition, the prices have been under revision in favour of poor households in general.
(d) The system, including the minimum support price and procurement has contributed to an increase in food grain production and provided income security to farmers in certain regions. Drawbacks : Instances of hunger are prevalent despite overflowing granaries.
(a) The PDS dealers are sometimes found resorting to malpractices like diverting the grains to open market to get better margin, selling poor quality grains at ration shops, irregular opening of the shops.
(b) It is common to find that ration shops regularly have unsold stocks of poor quality grains left.
(c) Now with the introduction of three types of ration cards, any family above the poverty line gets very little discount at the ration shop. The price for APL family is almost as high as open market price, so there is little incentive for them to buy these items from the ration shop.