THE RISE OF FOOD INSECURITY DURING COVID-19 IN ASSAM: CHALLENGES AND STATE INTERVENTION

Abstract

in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Positioned as a socio-politically complex and ecologically sensitive region, the state of Assam experienced unique structural shocks when national and state-level lockdowns were implemented. By analysing the intersection of supply chain disruptions, lockdowns, and natural disasters like the annual Brahmaputra floods, this study evaluates how vulnerable demographics like daily wage earners, informal sector workers, Scheduled Tribes (STs), and women-headed households were systematically pushed into situation of food insecurity. Utilizing a framework based on the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) four pillars of food security (availability, access, utilization, and stability), this research examines the effectiveness of the Public Distribution System (PDS) and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). The findings reveal that while state-led digital and in-kind food transfers mitigated absolute starvation, structural leakages, inflationary pressures on non-staple foods, and a deep loss of purchasing power triggered a profound shift toward nutritional poverty and dietary degradation.