Updates

The Secretariat of the Right to Food Campaign circulates via email regular updates covering a sample of the latest campaign-related news around the country. The campaign also used to maintain a separate set of rozgar updates which focus on the Employment Guarantee Act. 

To sign up for RTF Updates, please directly sign-up here or contact the secretariat at righttofoodindia@gmail.com


Recent Updates:

2022

Update (22nd November 2022)


Successful Public hearing in Varanasi by the Right to Food Campaign Uttar Pradesh along with NAPM Uttar Pradesh, Lok Samiti and Lok Chetna Samiti.

On 11th October 2022, the Public hearing raised essential issues in ration, pension and NREGA. Around 300 people came to the Public hearing and shared their testimonies in front of everyone. People from Varanasi along with a few blocks of Jaunpur district came for the Public Hearing. As a Government representative, Miss. Namrata Srivastav from the Food and Civil Supplies department of Varanasi district came. Some important testimonies and discussions during the Public hearing can be watched here on the Right to Food Campaign’s youtube channel. 


Press conference by the Right to Food Campaign flags the alarming situation of hunger in the country and the lack of adequate response by the government

The Right to Food Campaign held a press conference in Delhi on October 21, 2022, highlighting the situation of hunger in India, the inadequate policy response of the government, the Global Hunger Index report, the status of compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court’s regarding enhancing food security in the migrant worker's case and other issues regarding gaps in MGNREGA and social security policies. The press conference was addressed by Anjali Bhardwaj, Dipa Sinha, Harsh Mander, Nikhil Dey and Vandana Prasad. The entire press conference can be watched here on the Right to Food Campaign’s Youtube channel.


Update (4th October 2022) 


Right to Food Campaign’s response to the New Education Policy report in Karnataka

The report by NEP has once again opened up the debate on the merits of giving eggs to children in schools as part of the mid-day meal programme. In arguing for a ‘satvik’ diet for children, this report is not only completely unscientific and baseless but also casteist in denying people food choices.  We condemn such reports trying to divert attention away from solving the grave problem of malnutrition by strengthening local food systems and ensuring diverse and healthy diets for everyone. Such reports only serve to perpetuate caste and religious biases, while denying the most marginalised their basic right to food. 


Fact-finding report on the starvation death of Sanjay Sardar- Right to Food and Work Campaign, West Bengal 

The report was released in Jhargram after giving it to the administration. Also given is the case of a leprosy patient who was not given any rations and was forced to beg despite having an AAY card. Sanjay Sardar only had a few fingers and therefore no fingerprints for biometric identification, which has now become compulsory by the Union government to receive ration. 

 

Update (5th July 2022)


Chhattisgarh Government should not get coerced into fortified rice distribution in public schemes by the Government of India

The state government should adopt responsible, effective and safe solutions to the problem of malnutrition in Chhattisgarh and abandon rice fortification


छत्तीसगढ़ सरकार को भारत सरकार द्वारा सार्वजर्वनिक योजनाओं में फोर्टीफाइड चावल के वितरण दबाव में नहीं करनी चाहिए

राज्य सरकार को छत्तीसगढ़ में कुपोषण की समस्या के लिए ज़िम्मेदार, प्रभावी और सुरक्षित समाधान अपनाना चाहिए और चावल फोर्टीफिकेशन का त्याग करना चाहिए।

The Right to Food Campaign and Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA-Kisan Swaraj) has conducted fact-finding in Chhattisgarh from 13th to 15th June 2022 on the fortified rice distribution in food schemes and urged the Chhattisgarh Government to stop the distribution of fortified rice in the state immediately. On 20th June 2022 Fact-finding report was released in an online press conference. The report points to the many serious concerns with regard to the indiscriminate distribution of fortified rice to poor households in the state, and in Anganwadis and schools.


Anna Adhikar Abhiyan, Maharashtra organised a press conference on June 1st, 2022, for the release of interim findings of the Second Hunger Watch Survey conducted in Maharasthra

The press release and the presentation of the findings can be found here along with the nationwide findings.


Update (25th May 2022) 

Jharkhand government must stop Government of India's misadventure with rice fortification

फॉर्टिफाइड चावल खिलाकर जनस्वास्थ्य के साथ खिलवाड़ करना बंद करे झारखंड सरकार (कार्यकर्ताओं ने राज्य में फोर्टिफाइड चावल का वितरण बंद करने की मांग की)

At the end of a 3-day fact-finding visit in Jharkhand by Right To Food Campaign (RTFC) and Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA-Kisan Swaraj), team members urged the Jharkhand Government to stop distribution of fortified rice in the state immediately. The Fact Finding Report was released in a press conference. The report points to the many serious concerns with regard to the indiscriminate distribution of fortified rice to poor households in the state, and in Anganwadis and schools.


Targeting the consumption and sale of meat in India is an attack on the Right to Food and Nutrition

Open letter released on 5th May 2022 | Ahara Namma Hakku/Our Food, Our Right/ हमारा भोजन हमारा अधिकार 

As a group of concerned activists, doctors, nutritionists, parents, advocates and researchers, we are deeply concerned at the recent irrational attacks on the food habits and nutrition rights of people, in the form of laws, bans and calls to boycott the sale and consumption of meat. While these bans and calls to boycott meat have been isolated incidents as of now, this culture of interfering in people’s choice of food and livelihood may have serious social, economic and nutritional consequences if not countered. 


Update (6th April 2022) 


Second Hunger Watch Survey   

A national survey by the Right to Food Campaign titled ‘Hunger Watch’ carried out in the months of December 2021 & January 2022 by interviewing around 6700 households of vulnerable communities across 14 states captures the crisis in terms of income decline and severe food insecurity, especially among the economically weaker and marginalized sections of society:

The full conference is available here.

The Hunger Watch interim findings.


The Right to Food Campaign sent a letter to the Prime Minister of India on taking urgent steps required for ensuring universal access to food security. 

रोज़ी रोटी अधिकार अभियान द्वारा प्रधानमंत्री को खाद्य सुरक्षा के सार्वभौमिक पहुँच सुनिश्चित करने के लिए आवश्यक तत्काल कदम उठाने की मांग करते हुए पत्र भेजा गया।


Update (15th February 2022) 

The Right to Food Campaign released a statement on the reduced spending of Union Budget 2022-23 (English/Hindi)

The statement focussed and raised the demands with the crucial need of spending on social sectors in the present deep crisis while the current budget had declined with poor budgetary allocation. 

Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan sent a letter to Delhi Chief Minister demanding immediate relief for working and vulnerable households amid the Covid-19 third wave. (English/Hindi)  


2021

Update (23rd December 2021) 

DRRA writes to Delhi CM over no ration to those without cards

A Survey conducted by Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan says that 106 schools in Delhi, which are designated as ration distribution points for providing foodgrains to people without ration cards, were not distributing foodgrains as they had no stock of rations. Out of 282 schools, 106 are functioning as designated distribution points which is a clear non-compliance with directions of the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court. 

Right to Food Campaign sent a letter to the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (November 8, 2021)

The letter focussed on raising the demand for Pradhanmantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana extension and the universalisation of the Public Distribution System.

The tracker by PAEG described the performance of NREGA from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021 which contained important data concerning the implementation of NREGA in a year 

People’s Action for Employment Guarantee (PAEG) and LibTech India jointly hosted a press conference on 29 October, 2021. Prof. Jayati Ghosh, Nikhil Dey and Dr. Rajendran Narayanan were the panelists at the Press Conference.


Update (16th September 2021 


Two-day India Counter Dialogue on the United Nations Food Systems Summit

Right to Food Campaign along with Jan Sarokar and Focus Global South organised a two-day event. The Right to Food Campaign covered the Food and Nutrition session on 3rd September 2021.


Janta Parliament: Response to the Monsoon Session 2021

Jan Sarokar organised Janta Parliament as a three-day session from 9th-11th September. The Right to Food Campaign covered the food and nutrition session on the second day of the Janta Parliament. 


Update Archives (since 2003)