Food security in India is ensured through a variety of measures, including:

• Public Distribution System (PDS): The PDS is a government-run system that provides subsidized food grains to eligible households. It is the largest food security program in the world, and covers about 800 million people.
• Mid-day meal program: The mid-day meal program provides free cooked meals to schoolchildren. It is one of the most successful school feeding programs in the world, and has been credited with improving school enrollment and attendance, as well as reducing hunger and malnutrition among children.
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): The ICDS is a comprehensive program that provides early childhood care and development services to children under the age of 6, as well as pregnant and lactating women. It includes services such as nutrition, health, education, and social protection.
• Nutrition intervention programs: The government also runs a number of nutrition intervention programs, such as the National Nutrition Mission, which aims to reduce stunting, wasting, and anemia among children under the age of 5.

While these measures have helped to improve food security in India, there is still a significant problem with malnutrition. This is because food security is not the same as nutrition security. Food security refers to the availability of sufficient food, while nutrition security refers to the availability of food that is also nutritious.

There are a number of factors that contribute to malnutrition in India, including:

• Inadequate dietary diversity: Many people in India do not have access to a variety of nutritious foods. This is due to poverty, lack of access to markets, and poor agricultural practices.
• Poor hygiene practices: Poor hygiene practices can lead to the spread of diseases, which can further compromise people's nutritional status.
• Lack of awareness: Many people in India are not aware of the importance of nutrition. This can lead to poor dietary choices and inadequate intake of essential nutrients.

Nutrition security is more important than food security because it is not enough to simply have enough food. People also need to have access to food that is nutritious and that meets their individual needs. By addressing the underlying causes of malnutrition, India can achieve true food and nutrition security for its citizens.

Here are some of the things that can be done to improve nutrition security in India:

• Promote dietary diversity: The government can promote dietary diversity through education and awareness campaigns. This can be done through schools, health centers, and other community-based organizations.
• Improve access to markets: The government can improve access to markets by investing in infrastructure and transportation. This will make it easier for people to buy nutritious foods, even in remote areas.
• Support agricultural development: The government can support agricultural development by providing farmers with access to credit, training, and technology. This will help to increase food production and make it more affordable.
• Improve hygiene practices: The government can improve hygiene practices through education and awareness campaigns. This can be done through schools, health centers, and other community-based organizations.
• Promote breastfeeding: Breastfeeding is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need. The government can promote breastfeeding through education and awareness campaigns.

Dr Murtadha Shukur thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Food security focuses on quantity of food which is important but limited in scope. It is essential to talk about nutrition security now as preventable diet-related diseases are on the rise. Diabetes and obesity rates continue to rise, especially among children. Food security is closely related to household resources, disposable income and socioeconomic status. It is also strongly interlinked with other issues, such as food prices, global environment change, water, and energy and agriculture growth. The agri-food systems are the most important part of the Indian economy. Food and nutritional security is the key to attain to the Sustainable Development Goals and other high-level aspirational goals. Food security does not exist without nutrition security. Unfortunately, many organizations and policies focused on quantity rather than quality of food over the past half-century. It's the difference between eating bread every day or a diverse diet incorporating all the food groups every day. Food security is defined as the availability and the access of food to all people; whereas nutrition security demands the intake of a wide range of foods which provides the essential needed nutrients. It is estimated that the average dietary intake in India is 2280 calories.Food and nutrition insecurity can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and affect diabetes management. Millions of people across America have problems accessing enough food or enough healthy food known as food and nutrition insecurity. Although food security refers to access to a safe and sufficient food supply to meet dietary needs, nutrition security further warrants that individuals actually consume the food to which they have access and that appropriate nutrition education is available to foster positive food choice. Food insecurity, whether a relative change or absolute severity, may increase the risk of malnutrition in all of its forms. Certain groups of the population are more vulnerable to food insecurity and thus more susceptible to dietary inadequacies.

The issue is not just getting what to eat but what kind of it? How do we eat? What culture and habit of eating do we engage ourselves? What do we benefit from those kind of food?