Although the public distribution system has provided poor households across the nation accessibility to regular and subsidised food grains, it fails to fulfil nutrition standards. Hidden hunger in India is created due to paucity of essential micronutrients in the body even if a large amount of food is consumed (“ >Linking food and nutrition security ”, Nov. 8). The rice that is distributed is polished and lacks nutrition-rich barn. Diversification of food distributed in the PDS is the need of the hour. Cereals fulfil our carbohydrates requirement, but protein is required for overall physical and mental development. It is time to increase pulse production and distribution through the PDS. The most important step is biofortification, a process through which the nutritional quality of crops is improved through biotechnology or selective breeding.
Gagan Pratap Singh,
Noida
