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Put dal on every plate: guarantee a fair minimum for everyone, and stop subsidising excess where people already eat enough.

The idea and why it matters

India has protected its people from hunger by building a very large food safety net. Grain at very low or zero price reaches most poor families. This is a big achievement. But our diet is still cereal-heavy. Protein from pulses—lentils, chickpeas, black gram, kidney beans, green gram and others—often stays low and uneven. 

Poor families cut back when prices rise. Better-off families buy what they want. The result is a widening nutrition gap even as the country spends heavily on food subsidy.

A practical answer is now on the table: expand the Public Distribution System to include pulses as a regular item, and set a simple “reasonable norm” for pulses consumption. Give full support to families who are below the norm, and reduce or remove pulses subsidy for families who already meet or exceed it. Use part of the current grain subsidy to pay for this shift so the budget stays sensible.

Key points 

• Pulses are the main affordable source of protein for a large part of India.
• A steady intake matters more than one-off giveaways.
• The Public Distribution System already reaches the families we care about most; it can carry dal if we choose to make it so.
  

Why now: the moment is right 

• Diet is changing. New household survey numbers show the share of cereals in family budgets is falling as incomes rise. That opens space to reshape the basket toward nutrition, not only calories.
  
• Pulses output is improving but remains volatile. Government estimates put pulses at around 242 lakh tonnes in 2023–24 and about 252 lakh tonnes in 2024–25. Prices still swing, so the poor pull back first when prices jump.
  
• Coverage is wide and promised for years. Free grain under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana continues for five years from January 2024. Around eighty-one crore people covered by the food security law can lift grain.
  
• Leakages are way down. Research comparing earlier and recent years suggests a drop in diversion of subsidised grain from roughly about forty-two percent a decade ago to about one-quarter by 2022–23, and under ten percent in 2023–24 in many states. This shows systems and technology now work better.
  
• Price Stabilisation Fund buffers exist. The Centre keeps dynamic stocks of major pulses (tur, urad, chana, masur, moong) and releases them to calm retail prices. The tool is ready; it needs to be tied to the ration network.
  

India already spends big on grain and runs it well. The same pipes can carry dal at scale.

How “equalising” would actually work

Think of three levers used together so the policy is fair, simple, and workable.

Fix a clear “reasonable norm” for pulses

• Use national nutrition guidance to set a per-person daily dal target. Older manuals suggest around forty grams per person per day as a benchmark for adults; states may want higher numbers for special groups.
  
• Convert this daily amount into a monthly household entitlement, based on family size on the ration card.
  

Who gets what

• Households below the norm: full pulses support at a low, steady price through the Public Distribution System until they reach the norm.
  
• Households at or above the norm: no extra subsidy for pulses; they can still buy dal from the market like before.
  
• Rice and wheat: keep free grain going, but allow states to rebalance the mix (slightly less cereal and more dal where families are not lifting their full cereal quota).
  

Make dal a regular item, not a seasonal add-on

• National floor: start with one kilogram per person per month in pilot districts, rising to two kilograms if stock allows.
  
• Local taste: supply what people actually cook—tur in much of the Deccan, gram and masur in central and northern belts, and so on.
  
• Predictable supply: buy after harvest when prices are low, build a rolling buffer, and plan limited imports only when needed.
  

Keep execution simple

• Use the same ration card and machine that prints the cereal slip; add a line for dal.
  
• Allow a swap option: if a family does not need part of its monthly rice or wheat, it can swap some of it for dal at the same visit.
  
• Publish a district dashboard each month: stock received, stock issued, and retail prices. This builds trust.
  

Why this shift makes sense

• Better health where it matters most. Dal brings protein, fibre, iron and folate. Regular dal helps children grow, supports pregnant women, and keeps adults strong. Making dal routine through ration shops can lift the nutrition floor for millions.
• Fair use of public money. The food budget is large. A rupee should buy the biggest nutrition gain. Giving pulses subsidy to families already eating above the norm is not the best use of that rupee.
• Stable demand for farmers. When government buys predictably after harvest and maintains a buffer, farmers see a steady buyer. This supports sowing decisions and reduces panic imports later.
• Stronger shock response. When rain fails or global prices spike, the buffer can supply ration shops and school kitchens so dal does not vanish from poor plates.

What could go wrong—and the safeguards

“How will you know who is above the norm?”
We do not and should not police kitchens. Start simple:

• Give full dal support to the poorest card category everywhere.
  
• Offer partial support to other card holders in districts where surveys show a clear protein gap.
  
• In better-off districts where diets already exceed the norm, do not add extra subsidy.
  

“Dal spoils faster than rice or wheat.”
Invest in better storage: aeration, pallets, fumigation, and faster movement. States that distributed dal during relief operations can share routines. Rotate stocks quickly to school and anganwadi kitchens.

“If ration shops sell more dal, won’t market prices spike?”
That is why the Price Stabilisation Fund exists. Release pulses into the market when retail prices surge. Plan procurement after harvest to avoid crowding out private trade.

“Will people feel you are taking away their comfort cereals?”
Communicate clearly: nobody is losing grain. The change is adding dal, smoothing cereal where there is clear excess, and moving the same rupee toward nutrition.

“Will farmers lose if consumer prices are controlled?”
Not if procurement is timely and predictable. Buy right after harvest at fair minimum prices, reduce imports during peak arrivals, and keep the buffer moving. Farmers want stable demand, not sudden shocks.

Paying for it without growing the bill

You can finance dal inside the current food envelope by rebalancing.

• Trim excess that goes unused. Many households do not lift their full rice or wheat quota every month. Swap a part of that value into dal.
  
• Buy smart. Procure pulses right after harvest when prices are lower; move those varieties to states that prefer them.
  
• Use time-bound promotions. For three months, offer a deeper dal discount to help families form the habit; then settle into a steady price.
  
• Feed institutions first. School and anganwadi kitchens can absorb big volumes in cooked form, giving children reliable protein at low cost.
  

The Union budget already shows that the food subsidy is the largest item in the department’s spending. Redirecting a part of it from “calories only” to “calories plus protein” is both necessary and possible.

Exam hook

Shift the safety net from “full stomachs” to “well-nourished lives.” Make dal a guaranteed part of the ration for those below a clear daily norm, and stop subsidising extra dal for those already above it. Pay for this by modestly rebalancing grain, using the pulses buffer at the right time, and anchoring school and anganwadi meals on a fixed dal gram per child.

Key takeaways

• Problem: diets are cereal-heavy; protein from pulses is too low for many poor families.
  
• Why now: coverage is wide, leakages are low, and a pulses buffer already exists.
  
• Core idea: set a clear daily pulses norm; give full support up to that level; no extra subsidy beyond it.
  
• How: regular dal through ration shops, local varieties, swap option between grain and dal, and steady buffer releases when prices spike.
  
• Paying for it: re-balance inside the current food subsidy; buy after harvest; move stock to match taste; focus on school and anganwadi meals.
  
• Outcome: better protein for the poorest, fairer use of money, and stronger signals to farmers.
  

UPSC Mains Question (250 words)

1. Despite wide coverage of subsidised cereals, nutrition gaps remain. How can including pulses in PDS up to a per-person norm, while pruning excess subsidies, help equalise food consumption? Discuss with reference to price buffers, procurement timing, storage issues, and states’ role.

Hints for answer:

• Current PDS focus = cereals, calories but not proteins.
  
• Pulses inclusion = balance diet, address malnutrition.
  
• Buffers & procurement = stabilise prices, prevent volatility.
  
• Storage = need scientific warehouses, nitrogen-fixation advantages.
  
• States can reallocate cereal share → promote local pulses.
  
• Outcome: food security → nutrition security.
  

UPSC Prelims Question 

1. Which of the following states are major contributors to India’s pulses production due to soil and rainfall conditions?

1. Madhya Pradesh
   
2. Maharashtra
   
3. Rajasthan
   
4. Kerala
   

Select the correct answer using the code below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Answer: (b) Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan are leading pulse producers; Kerala is not.

One-line wrap

Make dal routine, not rare: guarantee a fair minimum for all, prune excess, and India moves from food security to nutrition security.

The Hindu