With reference to the provisions made under the National Food Security Act, 2013, consider the following statements:
- 1.The families coming under the category of ‘below poverty line (BPL)’ only are eligible to receive subsidised food grains.
- 2.The eldest woman in a household, of age 18 years or above, shall be the head of the household for the purpose of issuance of a ration card.
- 3.Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to a ‘take-home ration’ of 1600 calories per day during pregnancy and for six months thereafter.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
Only statement 2 is correct: Section 13 of the National Food Security Act, 2013 makes the eldest woman of 18 years or above the head of the household for the ration card. Subsidised grain is not limited to BPL families, and the take-home ration norm for pregnant women and lactating mothers is 600 kcal, not 1600.
- ✗ 1. The Act covers 'eligible households', meaning priority households and Antyodaya Anna Yojana households, identified by State Governments under the Act's criteria. It does not use the BPL category alone.
- ✓ 2. Section 13(1) says the eldest woman of not less than eighteen years in every eligible household is the head of the household for issue of ration cards. If there is no such woman, the eldest male member is the head.
- ✗ 3. Section 4 entitles pregnant women and lactating mothers to a free meal through the local anganwadi during pregnancy and six months after childbirth, plus maternity benefit of at least Rs 6,000. Schedule II fixes the take-home ration at 600 kcal and 18-20 g protein per day, not 1600 kcal.
Remember · NFSA 2013: eldest woman (18+) heads the ration-card household; coverage is priority plus AAY households; take-home ration for pregnant and lactating women is 600 kcal.
Sources
- The National Food Security Act, 2013, Section 13 (Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India) ↗ “The eldest woman who is not less than eighteen years of age, in every eligible household, shall be head of the household for the purpose of issue of ration cards. … "eligible households" means households covered under the priority households and the Antyodaya Anna Yojana referred to in sub-section (1) of section 3; … every pregnant woman and lactating mother shall be entitled to— (a) meal, free of charge, during pregnancy and six months after the child birth, through the local anganwadi, so as to meet the nutritional standards specified in Schedule II”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2018, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·