Govt considers revising AAY foodgrain entitlement to 7 kg per person

The Government is considering shifting the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) foodgrain entitlement from a fixed 35 kg per household per month to 7 kg per person per month — capped at 35 kg — a move to address the “inequities” in food distribution among the country’s poorest households and provide for more rational food grain allocation and better align entitlements with nutritional requirements.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution has proposed an amendment to the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the Food Ministry has invited public comments on the National Food Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026, until July 13.

Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), up to 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population — covering roughly two-thirds of India’s population-are legally entitled to highly subsidised or free foodgrains.

The proposed changes seek to “remove intra-category inequities and provide for a more equitable and rational allocation of foodgrains while aligning beneficiary entitlements more closely with household nutritional requirements,” says the draft Bill.

Under the current law, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, designated as the poorest of the poor and are legally entitled to receive 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month, the Priority Households are entitled to 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month.

“The existing household-based entitlement under Antyodaya Anna Yojana, though intended as a protective measure for the most vulnerable families, results in significant inequities depending upon the size of the household,” the ministry said in a statement.

Under the proposed design, a two-member AAY household would receive 14 kg per month, while a family of five or more would be entitled to the existing ceiling of 35 kg.

Smaller households may see little change in absolute terms; larger ones stand to gain as allocation would scale with family size.

The Government has framed the amendment as part of its broader push to strengthen food and nutritional security through a “human life cycle approach” -- ensuring access to adequate quantities of quality food at affordable prices, in line with the objectives of the National Food Security Act, 2013. Currently, rice and wheat are distributed for free to both priority households and AAY.

In Delhi, the State Government has cancelled nearly 7.72 lakh invalid and ineligible ration cards following a recent welfare audit and verification drive. This massive clean-up exercise freed up approximately 7.72 lakh ration card slots intended for the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other public distribution benefits.