Anna Chakra

Context-

Recently, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution launched ‘Anna Chakra’ and SCAN (Subsidy Claim Application for NFSA) portal.

About Anna Chakra: 

• It is a Public Distribution System (PDS) Supply chain optimization tool.
• It is spearheaded by the Department of Food Public Distribution, which enhances the efficiency of the PDS logistics network across the country.

• It is a tool to optimize the supply chain of food grains under the Public Distribution System in the states.
• It is estimated to save about Rs 250 crore in the annual cost of transportation of free wheat and rice for 80 crore poor people.
• It has been developed by the Department of Food and Public Distribution in collaboration with the World Food Programme and the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer of IIT Delhi.
• It uses advanced algorithms to optimize the movement of food grains in the supply chain
  • It includes farmers, transporters, warehouses and fair price shops (FPS).

Key features of Anna Chakra:

• Route optimization- Leveraging algorithms to identify efficient routes, minimizing transportation time and cost.
• Integration with Railways and Logistics Platforms – Integration with Railway’s Freight Operation Information System (FOIS) and PM Gati Shakti Platform.
  • It maps the geographical locations of FPS and warehouses.
• Environmental Benefits-
  • Route optimization from FCI warehouses to ration shops has reduced the distance by 15-50%.
  • Reduction in transportation related emissions leads to reduced carbon emissions.
  • It reduces carbon footprint, thereby contributing to sustainable development.
• It is a positive step to use technology to prevent leakage and save the government exchequer

World Food Programme (WFP):

• Established – 1961
• Headquarters – Rome, Italy
• By the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
• The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization.
• It saves lives in emergencies and uses food aid to build a path to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the effects of climate change.

Government Initiatives for Food Security:

• Public Distribution System of India
• One Nation One Ration Card
• National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013
• Fair Price Shops
• Antyodaya Anna Yojana
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

CBL Practice Questions for Prelims

Which of the following is/are features of the Anna Chakra project for optimizing the Public Distribution System (PDS)?

1. It identifies optimal routes for food grain transportation across the country.
2. It focuses solely on optimizing transportation within individual states.
3. It is integrated with the Freight Operations Information System (FOIS) of Indian Railways through the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP).
4. It covers approximately 6700 warehouses and 4.37 lakh Fair Price Shops (FPSs).

• a) 1, 3, and 4 only
• b) 2, 3, and 4 only
• c) 1 and 4 only
• d) 1, 2, 3, and 4

Answer: a) 1, 3, and 4 only

CBL Mains Practice Question –

Discuss the role of the Anna Chakra project in optimizing the Public Distribution System (PDS) logistics in India. How does it contribute to improving food security and reducing inefficiencies within the PDS supply chain?

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