The present study has tried to address the impact of subsidised rice distribution through the public distribution system on dietary diversity and nutrition intake in the state of Tamil Nadu in India as the state is considered a pioneer in introducing a number of food security programmes in India. We used National Sample Survey Organisation’s data for the years 2004-05 and 2011-12, and the propensity score matching technique to estimate the actual impact of the subsidy programme on food consumption patterns and nutrient intake, as the data-set used for analysis was subjected to non-randomisation and selection bias. The estimated results reveal that the subsidy on rice has significantly and positively impacted food consumption and nutritional intake across households, irrespective of income groups. The increased purchasing power of the poor due to the subsidy is limited to the staple food commodities—rice, millets, pulses and vegetables—whereas middle- and high-income households are more likely to consume high-value commodities such as fruits, processed food and livestock products, with a resultant higher gain in fat and calcium. Our study indicates that extending the price subsidy to nutritious foods, besides rice can help the poor diversify their diets towards healthy and nutrient-rich foods.

JEL Codes: C5, C54, D01, D11, D12, Q11, Q18

本研究试图解决通过公共分配系统分配的大米对印度泰米尔纳德邦的饮食多样性和营养摄入的影响，因为该州被认为是在印度推行许多粮食安全计划的先驱。我们使用了美国国家抽样调查组织（National Sample Survey Organisation）2004-05年和2011-12年的数据，以及倾向得分匹配技术来估算补贴计划对食品消费模式和营养摄入的实际影响，因为用于分析的数据集是受到非随机化和选择偏见的影响。估计结果表明，大米补贴对家庭的粮食消费和营养摄入量产生了显着和积极的影响，而与收入群体无关。补贴使穷人的购买力增加仅限于主食商品（大米，小米，豆类和蔬菜），而中等收入和高收入家庭则更有可能消费水果，加工食品等高价值商品和牲畜产品，从而增加了脂肪和钙的含量。我们的研究表明，除了大米以外，将价格补贴扩大到营养食品，可以帮助穷人的饮食多样化，转向健康和营养丰富的食物。

JEL代码： C5，C54，D01，D11，D12，Q11，Q18