LPG Shock & Nutrition Crisis — Right to Food, NFSA 2013, Art 21 & Ujjwala Scheme

CURRENT AFFAIRS | 11 APRIL 2026

CLAT GK + SOCIO-ECONOMIC LAW

In a deeply analytical piece, scholars Dipa Sinha and Kalyani Raghunathan trace an alarming chain of consequences: the West Asia conflict disrupts oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, which triggers LPG shortages, which forces rural families back to firewood and inferior cooking fuels, which reduces meal quality and preparation, which ultimately impacts nutrition outcomes — particularly for women and children in rural India.

The Data That Should Worry Every Indian

The Household Consumer Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24 provides stark numbers: a nutritionally adequate “healthy diet” costs Rs 73.1 per person per day in India. This price point makes healthy eating unaffordable for 25-49% of the population. When LPG prices spike or supply dries up, the most vulnerable households — those already at the edge of nutritional adequacy — are pushed over.

The mechanism is straightforward but devastating. When LPG becomes unavailable or unaffordable, rural families revert to firewood, cow dung, and crop residue for cooking. These fuels take longer to cook with, produce harmful smoke (causing respiratory diseases), and force women to spend hours collecting fuel instead of preparing nutritious meals. The result is a double burden: worse cooking conditions and reduced dietary diversity.

The Constitutional Right to Food

The Indian Constitution does not explicitly mention a “right to food,” but the Supreme Court has constructed one through expansive interpretation of Article 21 (Right to Life). The right to life is not merely the right to animal existence — it includes the right to live with dignity, which necessarily encompasses the right to adequate nutrition.

Article 47, a Directive Principle of State Policy, reinforces this by directing the State to regard “the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties.” While DPSPs are not directly enforceable, the Supreme Court has used them as interpretive aids to expand the scope of fundamental rights.

PUCL v Union of India: Making the Right Enforceable

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) v Union of India litigation, beginning in 2001, transformed the right to food from a theoretical construct into enforceable orders. The Supreme Court directed the government to implement multiple food security schemes, including mid-day meals in government schools, expansion of ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services), and the Antyodaya Anna Yojana for the poorest households.

The Court appointed commissioners to monitor compliance and issued interim orders that functioned as a parallel food security law — predating and influencing the National Food Security Act, 2013.

The Legislative Framework

The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 provides a statutory right to food for approximately two-thirds of India’s population. Under the Act, priority households receive 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at subsidized prices (Rs 3/kg rice, Rs 2/kg wheat, Rs 1/kg coarse grains). The Antyodaya category receives 35 kg per household per month.

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, launched in 2016, aimed to provide free LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line households. Over 10 crore connections have been distributed. However, the current crisis exposes the scheme’s vulnerability: access to a connection means nothing without affordable, uninterrupted LPG supply.

The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 empowers the government to control production, supply, and distribution of essential commodities, including LPG, during shortages. The Act allows the government to fix prices, regulate distribution, and prevent hoarding.