Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Branch of Government of India | |
Ministry of Consumer Affairs | |
South Block building, housing the Cabinet Secretariat | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2 September 1946 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of India |
| Headquarters | Sansad Bhavan, New Delhi |
| Annual budget | ₹205,765 crore (US$24 billion) (2023–24 est.) |
| Ministers responsible | |
| Website | https://consumeraffairs.gov.in/ https://dfpd.gov.in/ |
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is a government ministry of India. The ministry is headed by a Cabinet rank minister.
Departments
The ministry is divided into two departments, the Department of Food and Public Distribution and the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Department of Food and Public Distribution
The objectives of the department are to ensure:
- remunerative rates for the farmers.
- supply of food grains at reasonable prices through the public distribution system.
Public Distribution System
The Indian Public Distribution System (PDS) is a national food security system that distributes subsidised food to India's poor. Major commodities include wheat, rice and sugar. Surpluses of food from increased crop yields (as a result of the Green Revolution and good monsoon seasons) are managed by the Food Corporation of India, established by the Food Corporation Act 1964. The system implements national policy for farm price support, operations, procurement, storage, preservation, inter-state movement and distribution. PDS has a network of about 478,000 Fair Price Shops (FPS), perhaps the largest distribution network of its type in the world, operated by the Union Government and state governments.
Department of Consumer Affairs
The department administers the policies for Consumer Cooperatives, price monitoring, essential commodity availability, consumer movement and control of statutory bodies such as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Weights and Measures.[1]
The department is responsible for:[1]
- National Test House
- Standards of Weights and Measures
- The Bureau of Indian Standards
- Monitoring of Prices and Availability of essential commodities
- The Consumer Protection Act, 2019
- Consumer Welfare Fund
- Internal Trade
- Inter-State Trade: The Spirituous Preparations (Inter-State Trade and Commerce) Control Act, 1955 (39 of 1955).
- Control of Futures Trading: the Forward Contracts (Regulations) Act, 1952 (74 of 1952).
The department regulates the availability and prescribes measures to see that the system works towards the food security of vulnerable people. This intent is to increase dignity, accountability, visibility, positive orientation and changed mind set.
Institutes
Related Agencies
Cabinet Ministers
Food and Agriculture (1947–1971)
| Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency |
Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | |||||||
| Minister of Food and Agriculture | |||||||||
| Rajendra Prasad (1884–1963) MP for Bihar (Constituency Assembly) |
15 August 1947 | 14 January 1948 | 152 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru I | Jawaharlal Nehru | |||
| Jairamdas Daulatram (1891–1979) MP for East Punjab (Constituent Assembly) |
19 January 1948 | 13 May 1950 | 2 years, 114 days | ||||||
| Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi (1887–1971) MP for Bombay (Constituent Assembly) |
13 May 1950 | 13 May 1952 | 2 years, 0 days | ||||||
| Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (1894–1954) MP for Bahraich District (East) |
13 May 1952 | 24 October 1954[†] | 2 years, 164 days | Nehru II | |||||
| Panjabrao Deshmukh (1898–1965) MP for Amravati (Minister without cabinet rank) |
29 October 1954 | 25 November 1954 | 27 days | ||||||
| Ajit Prasad Jain (1902–1977) MP for Saharanpur |
25 November 1954 | 17 April 1957 | 1 year, 272 days | ||||||
| 17 April 1957 | 24 August 1959 | Nehru III | |||||||
| S. K. Patil (1898–1981) MP for Mumbai South |
24 August 1959 | 10 April 1962 | 4 years, 8 days | ||||||
| 10 April 1962 | 1 September 1963 | Nehru IV | |||||||
| Swaran Singh (1907–1994) MP for Jullundur |
1 September 1963 | 27 May 1964 | 282 days | ||||||
| 27 May 1964 | 9 June 1964 | Nanda I | Gulzarilal Nanda | ||||||
| Chidambaram Subramaniam (1910–2000) MP for Palani |
9 June 1964 | 24 January 1966 | 1 year, 229 days | Shastri | Lal Bahadur Shastri | ||||
| Nanda II | Gulzarilal Nanda | ||||||||
| Minister of Food, Agriculture, Community Development and Cooperation | |||||||||
| Chidambaram Subramaniam (1910–2000) MP for Palani |
24 January 1966[§] | 13 March 1967 | 1 year, 48 days | Indian National Congress | Indira I | Indira Gandhi | |||
| Jagjivan Ram (1908–1986) MP for Sasaram |
13 March 1967 | 27 June 1970 | 3 years, 106 days | Indira II | |||||
| Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1905–1977) MP for Barpeta |
27 June 1970 | 2 May 1971 | 309 days | ||||||
| Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | ||||||||
Civil Supplies (1974–1983)
| Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency |
Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | |||||||
| Minister of Industry and Civil Supplies | |||||||||
| T. A. Pai (1922–1981) MP for Karnataka (Rajya Sabha) |
10 October 1974 | 9 August 1976 | 1 year, 304 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi | |||
| Minister of Civil Supplies and Cooperation | |||||||||
| Syed Mir Qasim (1921–2004) MP for Jammu and Kashmir (Rajya Sabha) |
9 August 1976 | 24 March 1977 | 227 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi | |||
| Minister of Commerce and Civil Supplies | |||||||||
| Mohan Dharia (1925–2013) MP for Pune |
24 March 1977 | 28 July 1979 | 2 years, 126 days | Janata Party | Desai | Morarji Desai | |||
| Hitendra Kanaiyalal Desai (1915–1993) MP for Godhra |
30 July 1979 | 14 January 1980 | 349 days | Janata Party (Secular) | Charan | Charan Singh | |||
| Minister of Civil Supplies | |||||||||
| Pranab Mukherjee (1935–2020) MP for Gujarat (Rajya Sabha) |
14 January 1980 | 8 June 1980 | 146 days | Indian National Congress | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi | |||
| Vidya Charan Shukla (1929–2013) MP for Mahasamund |
8 June 1980 | 19 March 1981 | 284 days | ||||||
| Rao Birender Singh (1921–2000) MP for Mahendragarh |
19 March 1981 | 2 September 1982 | 1 year, 167 days | ||||||
| Minister of Civil Supplies and Cooperation | |||||||||
| Bhagwat Jha Azad (1922–2011) MP for Bhagalpur (Minister of State, I/C) |
2 September 1982 | 29 January 1983 | 149 days | Indian National Congress | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi | |||
| Bhishma Narain Singh (1933–2018) MP for Bihar (Rajya Sabha) |
29 January 1983 | 14 February 1983 | 16 days | ||||||
Food and Civil Supplies (1983–1991)
| Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency |
Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | |||||||
| Bhagwat Jha Azad (1922–2011) MP for Bhagalpur (Minister of State, I/C) |
14 February 1983 | 31 October 1984 | 1 year, 260 days | Indian National Congress | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi | |||
| 4 November 1984 | 31 December 1984 | 57 days | Rajiv I | Rajiv Gandhi | |||||
| Rao Birender Singh (1921–2000) MP for Mahendragarh |
31 December 1984 | 25 September 1985 | 268 days | Rajiv II | |||||
| Brigadier Kamakhya Prasad Singh Deo AVSM (born 1941) MP for Dhenkanal (Minister of State, I/C) |
25 September 1985 | 27 January 1986 | 124 days | ||||||
| P. Shiv Shankar (1929–2017) MP for Gujarat (Rajya Sabha) |
27 January 1986 | 12 May 1986 | 105 days | ||||||
| H. K. L. Bhagat (1921–2005) MP for East Delhi |
12 May 1986 | 14 February 1988 | 1 year, 278 days | ||||||
| Sukh Ram (1927–2022) MP for Mandi (Minister of State, I/C) |
14 February 1988 | 2 December 1989 | 1 year, 291 days | ||||||
| Vishwanath Pratap Singh (1931–2008) MP for Fatehpur (Prime Minister) |
2 December 1989 | 8 December 1989 | 6 days | Janata Dal | Vishwanath | Vishwanath Pratap Singh | |||
| Nathuram Mirdha (1921–1996) MP for Nagaur |
8 December 1989 | 10 November 1990 | 337 days | ||||||
| Chandra Shekhar (1927–2007) MP for Ballia (Prime Minister) |
10 November 1990 | 21 November 1990 | 11 days | Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) | Chandra Shekhar | Chandra Shekhar | |||
| Rao Birender Singh (1921–2000) MP for Mahendragarh |
21 November 1990 | 26 June 1991 | 217 days | ||||||
| Bifurcated into the Ministry of Food and the Ministry of Civil Supplies and Public Distribution | |||||||||
Food (1991–1997)
| Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency |
Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | |||||||
| Tarun Gogoi (1936–2020) MP for Kaliabor (Minister of State, I/C) |
21 June 1991 | 17 January 1993 | 1 year, 210 days | Indian National Congress | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao | |||
| Kalpnath Rai (1941–1999) MP for Ghosi (Minister of State, I/C) |
17 January 1993 | 21 December 1994 | 1 year, 338 days | ||||||
| P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004) MP for Nandyal (Prime Minister) |
21 December 1994 | 10 February 1995 | 51 days | ||||||
| Ajit Singh (1939–2021) MP for Baghpat |
10 February 1995 | 16 May 1996 | 1 year, 96 days | ||||||
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924–2018) MP for Lucknow (Prime Minister) |
16 May 1996 | 1 June 1996 | 16 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee I | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |||
| Devendra Prasad Yadav (born 1953) MP for Jhanjharpur |
1 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 324 days | Janata Dal | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda | |||
| Inder Kumar Gujral (1919–2012) MP for Bihar (Rajya Sabha) (Prime Minister) |
21 April 1997 | 23 April 1997 | 2 days | Gujral | Inder Kumar Gujral | ||||
| Chaturanan Mishra (1925–2011) MP for Madhubani |
23 April 1997 | 9 June 1997 | 47 days | Communist Party of India | |||||
| Merged with Ministry of Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution to form the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs | |||||||||
Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (1991–1997)
| Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency |
Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | |||||||
| P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004) MP for Nandyal (Prime Minister) |
21 June 1991 | 18 January 1993 | 1 year, 211 days | Indian National Congress | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao | |||
| A. K. Antony (born 1940) MP for Kerala (Rajya Sabha) |
18 January 1993 | 8 February 1995 | 2 years, 21 days | ||||||
| Buta Singh (1934–2021) MP for Jalore |
10 February 1995 | 20 February 1996 | 1 year, 10 days | ||||||
| P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004) MP for Nandyal (Prime Minister) |
20 February 1996 | 16 May 1996 | 86 days | ||||||
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924–2018) MP for Lucknow (Prime Minister) |
16 May 1996 | 1 June 1996 | 16 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee I | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |||
| Devendra Prasad Yadav (born 1953) MP for Jhanjharpur |
1 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 324 days | Janata Dal | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda | |||
| Inder Kumar Gujral (1919–2012) MP for Bihar (Rajya Sabha) (Prime Minister) |
21 April 1997 | 23 April 1997 | 2 days | Gujral | Inder Kumar Gujral | ||||
| Chaturanan Mishra (1925–2011) MP for Madhubani |
23 April 1997 | 9 June 1997 | 47 days | Communist Party of India | |||||
| Merged with Ministry of Food to form the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs | |||||||||
Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (1997–present)
| Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency |
Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | |||||||
| Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs | |||||||||
| Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (1946–2020) MP for Vaishali (Minister of State, I/C) |
9 June 1997 | 10 January 1998 | 215 days | Rashtriya Janata Dal | Gujral | Inder Kumar Gujral | |||
| Balwant Singh Ramoowalia (born 1942) MP for Uttar Pradesh (Rajya Sabha) |
10 January 1998 | 19 March 1998 | 68 days | Independent | |||||
| Surjit Singh Barnala (1925–2017) MP for Sangrur |
19 March 1998 | 13 October 1999 | 1 year, 208 days | Shiromani Akali Dal | Vajpayee II | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |||
| Minister of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution | |||||||||
| Shanta Kumar (born 1934) MP for Kangra |
13 October 1999 | 17 July 2000 | 278 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |||
| Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution | |||||||||
| Shanta Kumar (born 1934) MP for Kangra |
17 July 2000 | 1 July 2002 | 1 year, 349 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |||
| Sharad Yadav (1947–2023) MP for Madhepura |
1 July 2002 | 22 May 2004 | 1 year, 326 days | Janata Dal (United) | |||||
| Sharad Pawar (born 1940) MP for Baramati, until 2009 MP for Madha, from 2009 |
23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 6 years, 241 days | Nationalist Congress Party | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh | |||
| 23 May 2009 | 19 January 2011 | Manmohan II | |||||||
| K. V. Thomas (born 1946) MP for Ernakulam (Minister of State, I/C) |
19 January 2011 | 26 May 2014 | 3 years, 127 days | Indian National Congress | |||||
| Ram Vilas Paswan (1946–2020) MP for Hajipur, until 2019 MP for Bihar (Rajya Sabha), from 2019 |
27 May 2014 | 30 May 2019 | 6 years, 134 days | Lok Janshakti Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi | |||
| 31 May 2019 | 8 October 2020[†] | Modi II | |||||||
| Piyush Goyal (born 1964) MP for Maharashtra (Rajya Sabha) |
9 October 2020 | 9 June 2024 | 3 years, 244 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | |||||
| Pralhad Joshi (born 1962) MP for Dharwad |
10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 192 days | Modi III | |||||
Ministers of State
| Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency |
Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | |||||||
| Minister of State for Food and Agriculture | |||||||||
| Panjabrao Deshmukh (1898–1965) MP for Amravati Minister of Cooperation from 25 Apr 1957 |
17 April 1957 | 10 April 1962 | 4 years, 358 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru III | Jawaharlal Nehru | |||
| Ram Subhag Singh (1917–1980) MP for Bikramganj |
8 May 1962 | 27 May 1964 | 2 years, 19 days | Nehru IV | |||||
| Alungal Mathai Thomas (1912–1981) MP for Ernakulam |
21 November 1963 | 27 May 1964 | 10 years, 188 days | ||||||
| Ram Subhag Singh (1917–1980) MP for Bikramganj |
27 May 1964 | 9 June 1964 | 13 days | Nanda I | Gulzarilal Nanda | ||||
| Alungal Mathai Thomas (1912–1981) MP for Ernakulam |
17 days | ||||||||
| 9 June 1964 | 13 June 1964 | Shastri | Lal Bahadur Shastri | ||||||
| Minister of State for Food, Agriculture, Community Development and Cooperation | |||||||||
| Panampilly Govinda Menon (1906–1970) MP for Mukundapuram |
24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | 1 year, 48 days | Indian National Congress | Indira I | Indira Gandhi | |||
| Annasaheb Shinde (1922–1993) MP for Kopargaon |
13 March 1967 | 18 March 1971 | 4 years, 5 days | Indira II | |||||
| M. S. Gurupadaswamy (1924–2011) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh |
5 June 1967 | 17 October 1969 | 2 years, 134 days | ||||||
| Annasaheb Shinde (1922–1993) MP for Kopargaon |
18 March 1971 | 2 May 1971 | 45 days | Indira III | |||||
| Minister of State for Industry and Civil Supplies | |||||||||
| Anant Sharma (1919–1988) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar |
10 October 1974 | 9 August 1976 | 1 year, 304 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi | |||
| Buddha Priya Maurya (1926–2004) MP for Hapur | |||||||||
| A. C. George MP for Mukundapuram | |||||||||
| Minister of State for Civil Supplies and Cooperation | |||||||||
| A. C. George MP for Mukundapuram |
9 August 1976 | 24 March 1977 | 227 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi | |||
| Arif Beg (1935–2016) MP for Bhopal |
14 August 1977 | 28 July 1979 | 1 year, 348 days | Janata Party | Desai | Morarji Desai | |||
| Krishna Kumar Goyal (1932–2013) MP for Kota | |||||||||
| Minister of State for Commerce and Civil Supplies | |||||||||
| Henry Austin (1920–2008) MP for Ernakulam |
30 July 1979 | 14 January 1980 | 349 days | Indian National Congress (U) | Charan | Charan Singh | |||
| Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies | |||||||||
| Ajit Kumar Panja (1936–2008) MP for Calcutta North East |
19 February 1986 | 22 October 1986 | 245 days | Indian National Congress | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi | |||
| Ghulam Nabi Azad (born 1949) MP for Washim |
22 October 1986 | 7 September 1987 | 320 days | ||||||
| Ram Pujan Patel (1940–2021) MP for Phulpur |
23 April 1990 | 10 November 1990 | 201 days | Janata Dal | Vishwanath | Vishwanath Pratap Singh | |||
| Sarwar Hussain (born 1949) MP for Bulandshahr |
21 November 1990 | 20 February 1991 | 91 days | Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) | Chandra Shekhar | Chandra Shekhar | |||
| Minister of State for Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution | |||||||||
| Kamaluddin Ahmed (1930–2018) MP for Hanamkonda |
21 June 1991 | 29 September 1994 | 3 years, 100 days | Indian National Congress | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao | |||
| Krishna Sahi (born 1931) MP for Begusarai Minister of State, Civil Supplies from 19 Sep 1995 |
15 September 1995 | 16 May 1996 | 244 days | ||||||
| Venod Sharma (born 1948) MP for Haryana (Rajya Sabha) Minister of State, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution System from 19 Sep 1995 | |||||||||
| Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs | |||||||||
| Satyapal Singh Yadav (born 1942) MP for Shahjahanpur |
19 March 1998 | 13 October 1999 | 1 year, 208 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |||
| Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution | |||||||||
| V. Sreenivasa Prasad (1947–2024) MP for Chamarajanagar |
13 October 1999 | 17 July 2000 | 278 days | Samata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |||
| Sriram Chauhan (born 1953) MP for Basti |
22 November 1999 | 17 July 2000 | 238 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | |||||
| Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution | |||||||||
| V. Sreenivasa Prasad (1947–2024) MP for Chamarajanagar |
17 July 2000 | 6 March 2004 | 3 years, 233 days | Janata Dal (United) | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |||
| Sriram Chauhan (born 1953) MP for Basti |
17 July 2000 | 1 September 2001 | 1 year, 46 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | |||||
| Ashok Kumar Pradhan (born 1953) MP for Khurja |
1 September 2001 | 1 July 2002 | 303 days | ||||||
| U. V. Krishnam Raju (1940–2022) MP for Narasapuram |
1 July 2002 | 29 January 2003 | 212 days | ||||||
| Subhash Maharia (born 1957) MP for Sikar |
29 January 2003 | 22 May 2004 | 1 year, 114 days | ||||||
| Kantilal Bhuria (born 1950) MP for Ratlam |
23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 years, 364 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh | |||
| Akhilesh Prasad Singh (born 1962) MP for Motihari |
23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 years, 364 days | Rashtriya Janata Dal | |||||
| Mohammed Taslimuddin (1943–2017) MP for Kishanganj |
25 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 years, 362 days | ||||||
| K. V. Thomas (born 1946) MP for Ernakulam |
29 May 2009 | 19 January 2011 | 2 years, 51 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | ||||
| Raosaheb Danve (born 1955) MP for Jalna |
27 May 2014 | 6 March 2015 | 283 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi | |||
| C. R. Chaudhary (born 1948) MP for Nagaur |
5 July 2016 | 30 May 2019 | 2 years, 329 days | ||||||
| Raosaheb Danve (born 1955) MP for Jalna |
31 May 2019 | 7 July 2021 | 2 years, 37 days | Modi II | |||||
| Ashwini Kumar Choubey (born 1953) MP for Buxar |
7 July 2021 | 9 June 2024 | 2 years, 339 days | ||||||
| Niranjan Jyoti (born 1967) MP for Fatehpur | |||||||||
| B. L. Verma (born 1961) MP for Uttar Pradesh (Rajya Sabha) |
10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 192 days | Modi III | |||||
| Nimuben Bambhaniya (born 1966) MP for Bhavnagar | |||||||||
See also
References
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
- ^ a b "Dept of Consumer Affairs – Overview". Dept of Consumer Affairs. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.