NHRC, India their targets under Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals. 7.28 The Government has also taken significant steps to combat malnutrition over the past two decades, such as, through the introduction of mid-day meals at schools, Anganwadi systems to provide rations to pregnant and lactating mothers, and subsidised grain for those living below the poverty line through a public distribution system. The National Food Security Act 2013 aims to ensure food and nutrition security for the most vulnerable through its associated schemes and programmes, making access to food a legal right. 7.29 The world is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the food security sector and nutrition are no exception. Various studies show that higher retail prices, combined with reduced incomes during the pandemic, led to more and more households cutting down on the quantity and quality of their food consumption. The role of a non-profit organisation has also significantly risen as the authorities alone cannot triumph over this challenge. But, even between the pandemic and lockdown, a contention evolved between physical distancing norms and ensuring ration, meals and immunisation to the eligible beneficiaries. The authorities ensured a pragmatic way to provide these services while maintaining social distancing norms. However, the welfare generated by ICDS and Mid-day Meal scheme significantly deteriorated during this pandemic period, and it was challenging to run Anganwadi and mid-day meals in the schools. Different state governments gave various relief measures, such as food grain rations under the public distribution system (PDS) were more or less doubled from April to November 2020; employment generation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) expanded by nearly 50 percent compared to the previous year; and some cash transfers were also made, for example, to old-age pensioners and women’s Jan Dhan Yojana (JDY) accounts. Some state governments supplemented this national package with relief measures of their own.With the onset of the lockdown, the Atma Nirbhar Bharat (ANB) Package was announced. In the ANB package, additional PDS rations of five kgs (wheat or rice) and one kg dal/chana per person per month were provided to NFSA cardholders from April to November 2020 under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). Acknowledging that poor families still need food security support in the middle of a recovering economy, the Centre extended its free ration scheme, PMGKAY, until March 2022. This scheme also extended to eight crore migrant workers not covered under NFSA or State PDS scheme cards. Lately, while announcing the Union Budget 2021-22, the Government has merged the supplementary nutrition programme and the Poshan Abhiyan to launch Mission Poshan 2.0to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach, and outcome. The Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman said, “We shall adopt an intensified strategy to improve nutritional outcomes across 112 aspirational districts.” 7.30 The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is committed in its crusade to protect the right to nutritious food for citizens of India. Its Core Advisory Group on the Right to Food and Nutrition addresses issues, challenges and solutions to this field after analysing the steps taken by the government. Moreover, the Commission keenly observes the legislation related to food security and the eradication of hunger.NHRC has been emphasising proper implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013 and the flagship schemes, namely, PDS, ICDS and MDMS. It gets the ANNUAL REPORT 76 2021-22