Public Distribution System in Bihar, India: Implications for Food Security

This study was conducted to assess the functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Bihar—a state in India faced with multiple challenges of poverty, malnutrition, and hunger and known for rampant inefficiencies in the PDS. The results, based on analysis of the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) data and the microlevel evidences obtained from the Village Level Studies, indicate a positive turnaround in the functioning of PDS in the state. Apart from a marked improvement in cereal consumption and calorie gains across rural and urban areas, the outreach of PDS expanded with significant enhancement in participation by the weaker sections of the society.