Is RTFN recognized in the legal system?

State Policy

Directive principles of state policy

Article 39: “The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing—

(a) that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood.”

Article 43: “The State shall endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation or economic organisation or in any other way, to all workers, agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage, conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life.”

Article 47: “The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties.”

Right to Food Bill: In 2011, the National Food Security Bill, 2011, popularly known as Right to Food Bill was proposed. In 2013, National Food Security Act, 2013 was passed by the Indian Parliament. The Act guarantees subsidised food to 50% of the urban population and 75% of the rural population. The proposed legislation would provide of rice, wheat and coarse grain at very low prices to “priority households” similar to Below Poverty Line families. Distribution will be through the current Public Distribution System, a government-run ration and fair price shops. http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2013/E_29_2013_429.pdf

Regarding India, the Special Rapporteur has commented:

"India provides one of the best examples in the world in terms of the justiciability of the right to food. The Constitution of India prohibits discrimination and recognizes all human rights. The right to life is recognized as a directly justiciable fundamental right (art. 21), while the right to food is defined as a directive principle of State policy (art. 47). As it has interpreted these provisions, the Supreme Court of India has found that the Government has a constitutional obligation to take steps to fight hunger and extreme poverty and to ensure a life with dignity for all individuals."