Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
The Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) was launched in December 2000 with the primary objective of ensuring food security among the poorest sections of society. The scheme was directed towards identifying and assisting one crore of the most impoverished families listed under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category, as determined by state-level rural development departments through a BPL survey.
Under the AAY, each eligible family receives 25 kilograms of foodgrains at highly subsidized rates of ₹2 per kg for wheat and ₹3 per kg for rice. This initial allocation of food was increased to 35 kg per family starting in April 2002, reflecting the government's commitment to addressing food insecurity among the poorest families.
The initiative saw further expansion, as additional targets of 50 lakh families were included in June 2003 and August 2004, ultimately reaching a total of 2 crore families covered under the program. The AAY is a landmark step in India's efforts to fight poverty and ensure that no family goes hungry.