
Petition seeking food for All
Why is it in news?
- Supreme Courtto examine a plea that starvation deaths continue to eat into the right to life and dignity.
- SC Benchissued noticeto the government on the petition.
More in news
- What does the Plea suggest –setting up community kitchens across the country to feed the poor and the hungry.
- State-funded community kitchens was not a novel concept – Petition pointed out
(1) Tamil Nadu’s Amma Unavagam
(2) Rajasthan’s Annapurna Rasoi
(3) Indira Canteens in Karnataka
(4) Delhi’s AamAadmi Canteen
(5) Anna Canteen in Andhra Pradesh
(6) Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Dal Bhat
(7) Odisha’s Ahaar Centre were combating starvation and malnutrition
- Petitioners further stated that
(1) Statistics are available for malnutrition deaths in children and adults in the country but not for death of persons owing to starvation
(2) Court to direct the Chief Secretaries across the country to formulate schemes for the implementation of community kitchens and to further ensure that “no person should sleep on an empty stomach”.
(3) It called for the creation of a national food grid by the Centre beyond the Public Distribution Scheme.
- FAO Report 2018, stated
(1) India houses approximately 24% of the world’s hungry.
(2) Prevalence of undernourishment in India is 14.8% which is higher than both the global and Asian average.
Source
The Hindu