Food grain subsidy to be now dictated by per-person calculation than family unit
The draft National Food Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which aims to overhaul food grain distribution for poorest of households by moving from a fixed household quota to a per-person allocation, was released on June 24, 2026. The Department of Food and Public Distribution has also invited suggestions and feedback from all stakeholders till July 13. The proposed amendment seeks to remove inequities in Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) by providing 7 kg of food grains per person per month, thus capping the same to a maximum of 35 kg per household.
Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, the poor households were entitled to receive 35 kg of food grain per family per month, while the ‘priority households’ received 5 kg of food grain per person per month.
According to the ministry, the new draft aims to eliminate disparities and ensure fairness in the public distribution system.
“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.
Smaller households receive a higher per-capita entitlement, whereas larger households receive a lower per-capita entitlement, which may fall below the entitlement available to priority households," it said.
The purpose behind the amendment Bill is to remove intra-category inequities, provide for more rational food grain allocation and better align entitlements with nutritional requirements.
Expert Take
Experts have welcomed the 7 kg food grain quota, but questioned the morale behind capping the overall quota for the family.
“The increase of food grain quota from 5 kg to 7kg is heartening, but why cap the household limit? Although the government says that it aims to reduce inequity with the move, it will end up doing just that as bigger families with more members will be at a disadvantage. The same logic applies to a family of two or three members who will only get 14 or 21 kg food grain now," agriculture policy analyst Devinder Sharma told The Tribune.
He also wondered why only the poor are asked to submit a long list of documents and comply with all kinds of verification, and the rich get away without showing any proof whatsoever.
“The mandatory Aadhaar linkages to receive food grains by poorest of households will only push the beneficiaries out of the list. The government is forcing the poor to go to bed hungry. In the same country, the kith and kin of a chief minister buy and sell prime land at throwaway prices. Were they also asked about mandatory Aadhaar linkages?" he added.
Economist Praveen Kumar said the Bill can have massive fiscal burden and inflationary subsidy implications. “The government should explain how the move will not be an added burden to the exchequer," he said.
The draft is also being opposed by state governments, advocacy groups, and the public due to concerns over unequal distribution.
Civil society organizations, such as the Right to Food Campaign, have strongly criticized the broader push towards restrictive identity recognition like mandatory Aadhaar linkage and targeted databases under the proposed amendment.
They argue that reliance on biometric proof and databases to delete “ineligible" beneficiaries frequently results in the wrongful exclusion of vulnerable populations from welfare benefits.
India bats for review of outdated UNSC mandates, slams Pakistan at UN meeting
India has called for a review of outdated United Nations Security Council (UNSC) mandates, arguing that mediation frameworks adopted under Chapter VI of the UN Charter cannot be treated as having perpetual validity, while sharply criticising Pakistan for politicising a UN forum by raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing an Arria-formula meeting on “Bridging the Implementation Gap: UNSC Resolutions and Maintenance of International Peace and Security", India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, highlighted the distinct nature of Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter and their differing applicability in maintaining international peace and security.
Harish said Chapter VII interventions involve concrete actions to address threats to peace, breaches of peace and acts of aggression, and are aimed at restoring or maintaining international peace and security. Their non-implementation, he noted, could lead to an immediate deterioration in the security situation and other serious consequences.
In contrast, Chapter VI provides a range of peaceful means — including negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation and arbitration — to deal with disputes whose continuation may endanger international peace and security.
Such interventions, Harish said, are designed to address prevailing realities and therefore warrant review in accordance with changing circumstances and contexts. Referring to long-pending issues before the Security Council, he stressed that mediation frameworks cannot be presumed to remain relevant indefinitely and should be revisited when circumstances evolve. The Indian envoy also took exception to remarks made by Pakistan during the meeting, saying it was “incredible" that a co-chair expected to remain balanced and unbiased had chosen to politicise the discussion. Reiterating New Delhi’s position, Harish said the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir “has always been, is, and will remain" a matter strictly internal to India.
Reliance retains the top spot despite India’s leading private firms losing Rs 11 lakh crore
The total worth of India’s top ten most valuable non-state-run companies decreased by Rs 11 lakh crore in 2026 compared to the previous year, according to the fifth edition of the ‘500 Most Valuable Non-State-Run enterprises in India’ study published by Axis Bank’s Burgundy Private and Hurun India.
According to the report, the top 10 companies’ combined valuation dropped to Rs 86 lakh crore from Rs 97 lakh crore a year ago. Reliance Industries has been India’s most valuable corporation for five years consecutively. It added more than Rs 1.8 lakh crore in value over the course of the year, making it the largest value producer in absolute terms.
With a valuation of Rs 5.8 lakh crore, Bajaj Finance was the largest value generator in percentage terms.
Despite short-term value difficulties, India’s corporate sector continues to show long-term growth. Seven corporations have been in the top 10 rankings for the last five years, while the total worth of the top 10 companies has climbed 3.5 times over the previous ten years.
The combined worth of the 500 companies in India Inc. exceeded $3.4 trillion, matching the size of major world countries, said the report.
However, throughout the year, market performance was very selective. The fact that only 198 of the 500 companies saw an increase in value suggests that investors are increasingly rewarding strong company fundamentals over growth narratives.
“Fundamentals return to centre stage, with ROE, cash generation, and balance sheet strength being rewarded over narratives,” the report stated.
With 95 new companies joining the list and a combined worth of Rs 18.45 lakh crore, the report also highlighted the expanding depth of entrepreneurship in the Indian economy.
The report noted that more than one-third of the list has been revised since 2021, indicating that corporate churn is still strong and that company models and industries are changing quickly.
Furthermore, value creation is expanding outside of large cities. The rankings included companies from places like Rajkot, Bikaner, Kumbakonam, and Rajnandgaon, demonstrating the increasing importance of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in India’s business environment.
