Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY; ) is a food security welfare scheme announced by the Government of India on March 26 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The program is operated by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. But the nodal ministry is Ministry of Finance. The scheme aims to feed the poorest citizens of India by providing grain through the Public Distribution System, to all the priority households (ration card holders and those identified by the Antyodaya Anna Yojana scheme). PMGKAY provides 5 kg of rice or wheat (according to regional dietary preferences) per person and 1 kg of dal to each family holding a ration card. The scale of this welfare scheme makes it the largest food security program in the world. Statisticshttps://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1780091 Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, 35 kg of food grains were provided to families, Whom holding Antyodaya ration cards and 5 kg food grains per person to families holding Priority distribution cards at subsidized rates. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that an additional 5 kg of food grains would be provided for free of cost to each person in the household those holding an Antyodaya and Priority ration card. where Anthyodaya and Priority ration card holders had been receiving subsidized food grains under the Prime Minister's Food Security Scheme for the Poor along with the regular distribution of food grains. Under PMGKAY, 1121 metric tonnes of food grains were distributed in seven phases from April 2020 to December 2022 at a cost of Rs 3.9 lakh crore. From 1 January 2023, the Prime Minister's Garib Kalyan yojana, Food Security Scheme for the Poor has not been extended. Though the Antyodaya and Priority ration card holders purchase regular food grains by at subsidized rates under the National Food Security Act, which will be made free by the central government across the country. It eliminates and simplifies the price difference among the states, those under the "One Nation One Ration" scheme. It is budget around 2lakh crore for central government. Overview The scheme was initially launched on 26 March 2020 with an announcement by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who announced the program as part of the existing Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana welfare initiative in his first address to the nation during the COVID-19