The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) is a government institution and one of the two Departments under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Its core function is to ensure food security for Indian citizens. The department's origin traces back to the pre-independence era, when a separate Food Department was established on December 1, 1942, to address acute food shortages during World War II.
The DFPD's mechanism centers on the implementation of the Public Distribution System (PDS). Its mission involves ensuring the procurement of foodgrains at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and their efficient storage. The DFPD administers food subsidies and manages key institutions like the Food Corporation of India (FCI). A major legislative framework governing its work is the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, which converted food security from a welfare scheme to a legal entitlement. The NFSA, 2013, legally entitles up to 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population to receive highly subsidized foodgrains. The DFPD is responsible for bulk allocation, while State Governments manage the distribution through Fair Price Shops (FPSs).
The DFPD also administers the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980. A significant recent change is the push for digitalization, including the One Nation, One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme, which allows NFSA beneficiaries to lift their entitled food grains from any FPS in the country, enhancing portability and transparency.