New Delhi: To support larger low-income households, the Indian government is considering revising the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) foodgrain entitlement from a fixed 35 kilograms per household per month to 7 kg per person per month, subject to a maximum cap of 35 kg.
The Department of Food and Public Distribution has proposed an amendment to the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the Indian Food Ministry has invited public comments on the National Food Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026, until July 13.
Under the current law, AAY households, identified as the poorest of the poor, receive a flat 35 kg per household per month, regardless of family size. Priority Households, by contrast, receive 5 kg per person per month.
This structure means that larger AAY families often receive a lower per-capita entitlement than members of Priority Households, a category intended for those considered less vulnerable than AAY beneficiaries.
"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", the Indian Food Ministry said in a statement.
Under the proposed system, a two-member AAY household would receive 14 kg per month, while a family of five or more would be entitled to the existing maximum allocation of 35 kg.
Smaller households may see little change in absolute terms, while larger households stand to benefit as allocations would increase in line with family size.
The Indian government has presented the amendment as part of its broader effort to strengthen food and nutritional security through a "human life cycle approach", ensuring access to adequate quantities of quality food at affordable prices, in line with the objectives of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
Currently, rice and wheat are distributed free of cost to both Priority Households and AAY beneficiaries.