Economic Times reported on India’s new safety net programs that include doing away with the requirement of ration cards or other IDs, and distributing food to anyone who needs it during India’s lockdown. An IFPRI study (see the blog post, How India’s food-based safety net is responding to the COVID-19 lockdown) on how India’s food safety net is responding to COVID-19 notes that the public distribution system’s coverage in urban areas is low at about 50% leaving out many urban poor, and suggests the need to “expand the list of eligible households” at least for now.
PMO weighs food for all, may do away with need for ration card, IDs (Economic Times)
April 11, 2020