Why is ration rice of such bad quality?

In today’s Finshots, we tell you how the government is trying to improve the quality of the foodgrains distributed through India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) and why that alone won’t be enough to fix the deeper problems within it.But here’s a quick sidenote before we begin.

We’re hosting a free 2-day Insurance Masterclass that helps you build real financial security by understanding health and life insurance the right way.📅 Saturday, 18th July at 11:00 AM: Life Insurance How to protect your family, choose the right cover amount, and understand what truly matters during a claim.📅 Sunday, 19th July at 11:00 AM: Health Insurance How hospitals process claims, common deductions, the mistakes buyers usually make, and how to choose a policy that won’t disappoint you when you need it most.👉🏽 Click here to register while seats last.Now onto today’s story.The StoryIn the small town where I live, mornings often begin with the sound of a woman cycling through the neighbourhood, calling out, “Phool, phool!” (Bengali or even Hindi for flowers). Let’s call her Nandini. Some days we buy flowers from her, and we’ve been doing that for a few years now. Naturally, we’ve gotten used to exchanging a bit of small talk every now and then.Our local ration shop is also just ten steps from our home.

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So during the first week of every month, Nandini collects her share of rice and leaves it at our place. That way, she can finish her morning round of flower sales first and then pick up the rice on her way back home.But over the years, I’ve often noticed that the rice doesn’t look particularly clean. Every now and then, there are a few uninvited insects crawling around in it.