Generosity of food security programs and expected poverty: evidence from variation across Indian states

Sanjukta Das ()
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Sanjukta Das: SIGMA Foundation

International Tax and Public Finance, 2025, vol. 32, issue 5, No 5, 1434-1478

Abstract: Abstract The debate over whether food security legislation should follow a targeted approach or aim for universalization persists due to lack of empirical evidence on relative redistributive impacts on the poor. Utilizing a geographic regression discontinuity design, I analyze this question in the context of the world’s largest food security program, the Indian Public Distribution System. A more universal approach to food security reduces the average household’s probability of becoming poor significantly over a strictly targeted approach, by affecting their long term planning to improve living standards through more efficient resource and time allocation. The driving force behind the higher benefits under a universal system is lower errors of excluding eligible households. The impacts on malnutrition are also significantly positive for a more generous system.

Keywords: Food security; Targeting; Universalism; Vulnerability to poverty; Public Distribution System; PDS; India; Geographic regression discontinuity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H23 H53 H75 I38 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10797-024-09868-3

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