The Centre for Child and the Law (CCL), NLSIU in collaboration with ALERT and CRAF, Andhra Pradesh organised a two-day consultation on “Exploring State Rules to Strengthen the Implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013 in South India – with a Focus on Andhra Pradesh” on February 18-19^, 2026, at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

Over 35 civil society organisation (CSO) representatives from five southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka participated in this consultation. The main purpose of the two-day consultation was conducting sessions on the present State Rules under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, initiating deliberations on the NFSA Model Rules developed by CCL through detailed analysis and comparison of the respective State Rules.

The consultation was a success as the CSOs actively participated in the group discussions and made further commitments to collaborate with CCL to carry forward the dialogue with respective stakeholders towards strengthening the NFSA State Rules through state specific strategic action plan. Representatives from Kerala proposed engaging in dialogue with Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to strengthen provisions for women empowerment and role of local authorities in the Kerala State Rules. Similarly, representatives from Andhra Pradesh CSOs plan to initiate interdepartmental convergence and dialogue with government stakeholders to strengthen the rules and increase government accountability and transparency in the grievance redressal mechanisms and social audit for all entitlements under NFSA. CSO members from Telangana committed to take forward a bottom-up evidence-based approach in their advocacy action plan to strengthen the State Rules. They aim towards formation of vigilance committees under NFSA provisions at select districts, then further document grassroots impact created by vigilance committees in ensuring right to food in those districts and present it to the government stakeholders to influence them to bolster the rules and implementation. Tamil Nadu plans to include Tamil Nadu Food Security Rules, 2017 specific recommendations in the collective CSO manifesto to engage with MPs and MLAs in light of the upcoming state elections this year.

zAs an outcome of the deliberations, way forward and continuing the momentum, CSOs proposed formation of a South India level network on Right to Food with State level Conveners. CSOs look forward to CCL’s support through technical expertise to conduct socio-legal research, policy analysis and establishing institutional linkages to vitalize the journey towards ensuring right to food for all and leave no one behind.