Centre Reviews Foodgrain Procurement, PDS Reforms with States/UTs; Wheat Procurement Target for RMS 2026-27 Set at 303 LMT

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Centre Reviews Foodgrain Procurement & PDS Reforms; Wheat Procurement Target RMS 2026-27 Set at 303 LMT

1. At a Glance

2. Why in the News

3. Background & Evolution

4. Core Static Facts

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic - MSP-backed procurement guarantees farmer income; 303 LMT wheat target signals normal monsoon-rabi expectation and replenishment of central pool [S1][S2]. - Buffer stocks exceeded norms by ~3x for rice & 1.3x for wheat (July 2025), enabling market interventions like wheat stock limits and OMSS [S2].

Administrative / Federal - Procurement is cooperative federalism: targets fixed jointly with State Food Secretaries; decentralised procurement (DCP) states share burden [S1]. - FCI + State agencies operate Procurement Centres; meeting flagged infrastructure upgrade [S1].

Scientific / Technological - SCAN (Subsidy Claim Application for NFSA) automates subsidy reimbursement [S1]. - Smart-PDS & Sarthak-PDS enable end-to-end digitisation of fair price shops [S1]. - ASHA (AI-led initiative) for analytics; QR-coded bags piloted in Andhra Pradesh for traceability [S1]. - CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) explored for procurement payments [S1].

Social - NFSA reaches ~two-thirds of population; free grain under PMGKAY since 2024 strengthens food security [S2]. - Inclusion/exclusion of beneficiaries is State/UT responsibility under NFSA [S2].

Legal / Constitutional - NFSA, 2013 operationalises Article 21 (right to food, as read by SC in PUCL v UoI, 2001). - Agriculture is State subject (Entry 14, List II); food & price control under Concurrent List (Entry 33, List III) — enables Centre's procurement role.

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

7. Prelims Hooks

8. Mains Relevance

Question stems: 1. "Critically examine the role of MSP-based procurement in ensuring both farmer welfare and food security, in light of recent procurement targets for RMS 2026-27." (GS-III, 250 words) 2. "Digitisation initiatives like Smart-PDS, SCAN and AI-tool ASHA can transform the PDS architecture. Discuss." (GS-II, 150 words) 3. "Excessive buffer stocks indicate inefficiency in foodgrain management. Comment with reference to current central pool stocks." (GS-III, 150 words)

9. Related Topics to Study Next

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

11. Sources

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