The correct answer is: b) Ensure access to essential food grains.
The Public Distribution System (PDS) is a food security system in India that provides subsidized food grains to India’s poor. The PDS was established in 1947, shortly after India’s independence, to ensure that all Indians had access to basic food items. The PDS is one of the largest food distribution systems in the world, and it provides food to over 800 million people.
The PDS operates through a network of ration shops, which are government-run stores that sell subsidized food grains to eligible households. The price of food grains at ration shops is much lower than the market price, and households are entitled to a certain amount of food grains based on their size and income.
The PDS has been successful in ensuring that all Indians have access to basic food items. However, the PDS has also been criticized for its inefficiency and corruption. In recent years, the government has taken steps to reform the PDS, and it is hoped that these reforms will make the PDS more efficient and effective.
The other options are incorrect because:
- Option a) is not the primary objective of the PDS. The PDS does not aim to stabilize food prices.
- Option c) is not the primary objective of the PDS. The PDS does not aim to promote food processing industries.
- Option d) is not the primary objective of the PDS. The PDS does not aim to diversify agriculture.