Government approves supply of improved-quality rice under PMGKAY

📌 Summary:

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved supplying improved-quality rice under PMGKAY and other welfare schemes to over 80 crore beneficiaries — the first revision of PDS rice quality specs in nearly three decades
• Broken-grain content cut sharply: raw rice from up to 25% to up to 10%; parboiled rice from up to 16% to up to 5%, with no change in entitlements
• Phased rollout across all procuring states by Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2027–28; procurement begins immediately
• Broken rice from milling to be used productively and auctioned from millers' premises; stored in HDPE (not jute) bags
• Expected annual cost rationalisation of about ₹2,161 crore via reduced logistics, storage and packaging costs, plus extra revenue reducing the food subsidy burden
• QR-code tagging of rice bags for end-to-end traceability, strengthening transparency and inventory management in the PDS
• Validated by pilots in Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha, Telangana and Chhattisgarh

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Economy — food security, PDS reform, subsidy rationalisation; governance and transparency via traceability.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• PMGKAY — Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
• CCEA — Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
• New broken-grain limits: raw rice 10%, parboiled rice 5%
• Estimated annual savings about ₹2,161 crore

🔑 Key Term: Broken grain — fragments of rice kernels; a lower broken-grain percentage indicates higher rice quality.