Previous Year Question
Which one of the following is not included in the “National Food Security Missions”?
Oil seeds
Wheat
Rice
Pulses
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) was launched in 2007-08 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. At the time, its three main components were rice, wheat and pulses.
By the end of the Eleventh Five Year Plan, the additional production targets under NFSM were—
Rice — 10 million tonnes
Wheat — 8 million tonnes
Pulses — 2 million tonnes
Thus, the Mission targeted a total additional foodgrain production of 20 million tonnes.
The Mission was not limited to increasing production; it also emphasised area expansion and productivity enhancement, restoration of soil fertility and productivity, creation of employment opportunities and improvement of the farm-level economy.
At the time, oilseeds were not a component of NFSM. Assistance relating to oilseed production was being provided separately under the Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm and Maize (ISOPOM).
Current Status
The scope of NFSM was subsequently expanded. Coarse cereals were included from 2014-15. In 2024-25, NFSM was renamed the National Food Security & Nutrition Mission (NFSNM). Under the present arrangement, oilseeds are addressed separately through the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds (NMEO-OS).