Does the citizen have a fundamental right to food? What is the difference between food rights and food security? What is the relationship between food rights and livelihood rights?
One of the most unique cases worldwide, on food security, is the PUCL case on starvation deaths filed before the Supreme Court of India in 2001. The Supreme Court went on to innovate a wonderful mechanism to enable the Court to critically analyse the functioning of state and federal schemes in the welfare, education, health and other sectors relating to food security and livelihood rights. The SC appointed a set of National Commissioners to study the issue and present reports to the Court so that appropriate policy and programme related clarifications can be provided. The National Commissioners, in turn, appointed State-Level Advisers to study food security issues and inform the Commissioner.
This case is the only case in the world and after 7 years is still live before the court.
A Brief Summary of the Proceedings of the Food Security Case. Download.