The Role of the State in Development: A Case Study of Food Security and Vulnerability among Beneficiaries of India's Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)

University essay from Lunds universitet/LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management

Abstract: This thesis discusses the role for states and centralised government policies in development intervention. The topic is explored through a case study of India’s Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), a large-scale government intervention to enhance food security among India’s poorest households. The central questions of the study were, firstly, which function TPDS serves in the lives of beneficiary households in terms of food security and vulnerability, and secondly, what the study of TPDS can tell about the potential of government programmes in contributing to community development. Qualitative fieldwork was conducted in two districts in the Indian state Odisha through observations, interviews and conversations with beneficiaries, project implementers and government officials. The findings suggest that TPDS – despite being flawed with corruption and targeting errors – is bringing a certain level of food security and resilience to beneficiary households. It is found that the boundaries between the state and society become blurred in the delivery of TPDS and that embedded relations between implementers and beneficiaries contribute to basic needs being met at the household level. Following from this, the thesis argues in favour of a central role for the state in development, while also emphasising the need for society cooperation and involvement.

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