Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has praised India’s efforts for food distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• They said that the nation averted extreme poverty rise during this period by providing food security through the government initiative Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

• The IMF has also stated that India’s extreme poverty is less than 1 percent and this was also maintained in 2020.

• The research paper published by IMF presented the consumption and poverty estimates in India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The paper is titled ‘Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India.’

• The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana played a huge role in preventing the increase in extreme poverty levels across the nation.