When was the restructuring of public distribution system as a targeted public distribution system?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

RPF SI (2018) Official Paper (Held On : 16 Jan 2019 Shift 2)

Answer 1

The correct answer is 1997

Key Points

The restructuring of the public distribution system as the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) was implemented in 1997.
The TPDS aims to provide food grains to the poor at subsidized rates, ensuring food security for the most vulnerable sections of society.
Under TPDS, households are classified into Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) categories, with BPL families receiving higher subsidies.
This system was introduced to enhance the efficiency of the public distribution system by targeting the benefits more accurately to those in need.

Additional Information

The public distribution system in India has been in existence since the Second World War and was expanded in the 1960s and 1970s as a universal scheme.
The TPDS was introduced as part of the economic reforms of the 1990s to address inefficiencies and leakages in the universal public distribution system.
State governments are responsible for identifying eligible families and distributing food grains through a network of fair price shops.
Over the years, various measures, including the use of technology, have been implemented to improve transparency and reduce corruption in the TPDS.